Canon?has released a new firmware update that fixes a know issue with its top of the range?Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera?launched back in

The new firmware update, version 1.1.0, corrects a recently discovered problem of remnants of the previous photo being visible in continuous photo mode.

Users of the new camera that was announced in September are recommended to download the new firmware update.

Canon offers both Mac and Windows software versions.

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Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Canon Canon EOS 7D

Canon 7D firmware update rids you of the ghost in the machine originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:28:11 +0000

Fancy being apart of one of the leading global gadget news and reviews sites in the world? Thought you did.?Pocket-lint is looking for positions to fill in?New York and?San Francisco.

We are looking for roving reporters to join the team based in New York and San Francisco to replace Stuart who is heading back to the UK.

Ideally you will be well connected within the gadget scene and be available to chase down briefings, meetings and attend events when needed.

You will have to be able to get into either New York city or San Francisco for meetings, come with your own computer and digital camera and of course be able to access the internet without excuses.

Work amount and schedule is based on your ability to generate original stories and we are looking for you to take the lead rather than be spoonfed ideas.

Salary etc will depends on work and experience.?

The ability to file quickly at events is also a must.

To apply email us via the feedback form with links to two examples of your work and the answer to the following two questions:

1. Why should we hire you?

2. If you were a product on a supermarket shelf what would you be and why?

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Pocket-lint is hiring in US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:04:10 +0000

First off congratulations to Paul Story who won last month's comments comp for his comment on the story "Amazon Kindle UK import orders begin". For those who didn't win, don't fret, because the kind folk at TomTom have sent a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe unit for us to dish out for our November comments competition.

The rules of the competition are simple, you can enter as many times as you like by simply commenting on any story. It doesn't have to be in depth, detailed or technical, but it does have to be useful, helpful or funny.

You don't have to sign up to comment on the stories, we just ask for your name, location and email address - that does not show up online and is not passed on.

The TomTom device measures 123 x 80 x 18mm and features 4.3-inch touch display, the screen being bright and a convenient size enabling ease of use whilst driving.

Along with Live HD Traffic, now with added support for Europe, the TomTom XL Live has excellent route guidance and with the added MapShare feature, it allows for easy updating of maps within the TomTom community.

To be in with a chance of winning this top-notch effort just comment on any story during the month of November. At the end of November the Pocket-lint team will take a look and choose what we believe is the best one.

Make sure you take a look at Pocket-lint's full review where it received a 9/10 score.

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Tags: Audio accessories Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness TomTom GPS Competitions

Win a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:42:25 +0000

As The Flickr Collection by Getty Images has hit over 60,000 images, the site has announced a "formal Call for Artists".

This means that any of the 40 million-plus Flickr members can submit their work to be considered for the collection through the Call for Artists group on Flickr, rather than wait to have their image spotted by the Flickr team.
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There's detailed guidelines over on the group page, but basically all Flickr users can now submit 10 images "that represent what you consider to be the best of your work".

The Getty Images creative team will then evaluate submissions based on style, subject matter and technical skill and let sucessful members know if their images will get into the group for possible licensing.

Tags: Software Online Websites Flickr Getty Cameras

"Call for Artists" from The Flickr Collection by Getty Images originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:31:16 +0000

A new digital photo service has been launched which scans in consumer's photos and sticks 'em on a digi-frame to save the consumer the trouble.

Perfect for the lazy, or technically inept, the Digipix Memories service will scan in up to 100 hard copy photographs to be displayed on a 7-inch digital photo frame.

From Digipix: "Customers simply choose their best-loved printed pictures and post them in a pre-paid envelope provided with the gift pack. Digipix Memories will then transfer these onto an SD memory card and return this - and the photos - back within 10 working days".

The frame offers a remote control and slide show functionality. The entire gift pack costs ?49 - plus P&P - and is available now over at http://www.digipixmemories.com.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames Digipix Memories

Digipix Memories offers photo scanning and digi-frame gift pack originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:46 +0000

Olympus has followed up the June launch of its retro-chic Pen E-P1 with the new E-P2 Micro Four Thirds digital camera.

Adding a port for an electronic viewfinder or external microphones, the E-P2 gets two additional "Art Filters" as well as the new i-Enhance function, said to be "for even more creativity and image enhancement", AF tracking, remote slideshow control (via HDMI) and perhaps the biggest improvement of all - the ability to record 7 minutes of AVI format movies in 30fps at 1280 x 720p HD resolution.

Specs include a 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor with dust reduction and image stabilisation, up to ISO 6400, 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD, 20 shooting modes, face detection and the camera takes SD or SDHC memory cards.

Available in classic black from January 2010, Olympus are hoping these improvements over the original will see consumers shelling out around ?850 for the new snapper - a ?100 more than the dearest E-P1 bundle.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Micro Four Thirds DSLR cameras Olympus Pen E-P1 Olympus Pen E-P2

Olympus Pen E-P2 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:52:46 +0000

2009 has seen the digital camera arms race continue at an ever increasing speed. With Canon announcing that its profits were down over 80% in the fourth quarter of last year and the rise of the cameraphone, one might have thought it was going to be a tricky time for the imaging industry. Think again.

Just a glance at our cameras category on Pocket-lint will give you some idea of what a hotly contested gong the Pocket-lint Best Digital Camera Award 2009 is going to be. So long as it takes a snap, then it counts.

DSLRs

Starting with the biggest, and mercifully fewest, to contend with, it's been an important time for the top end of the camera world. One of the main focuses has been to attract the growing snap happy, photo uploading market of users to the more professional equipment. One way to do this has been in the interfaces of the devices themselves with Pentax, Olympus and Nikon offering camera usability, simplicity and even advice in their models such as the Pentax K-x, the Olympus E600 and the Nikon D3000.

The second most major way to add value to their products has been to bring in HD video as well, seen in cameras such as the Nikon D5000, the Canon 500D and the Pentax K7 all the way up into prosumer and professional products in the very desirable and very expensive shapes of the Nikon D300s, D3s, the Canon 7D and the 1D Mark IV - although it is unlikely that the last of these will make it out in time to qualify for the award. What's more these bigger boys have continued to raise the bar in speed, focus and light sensitivity with up to 9fps shooting, 51-point AF and near pitch black recording ISOs of 102,400.

A special mention should also be made to two other DSLR manufacturers for two very different reasons - Leica, for making our eyes cry tears of blood at the ?16,000 Leica S2 DSLR with a photo format of its very own, and Sony for the leaps and bounds made with the company's Alpha range of DSLRs that have finally made it a brand to take very seriously in this field.

Compacts

Never before has there been such an enormous and specialised range of snappers in the compact department. Gone are the days of the straight forward point and press. Even phones have got smile, beauty and blink modes as well as a thousand and one scene set ups too. The manufacturers have had to think more niche and by jove have they been creative this year. Among the hundreds of new models that seem to have come in two major deluges at the beginning of the year and just in time for Christmas, are those for style or affordability such as the L-series from Nikon, the CyberShots (including Party Dock) from Sony, the Z35 Finepix from FujiFilm and the all touch Canon IXUS 200 IS, there seem to so many to remember that it just makes your brain hurt.

One of the really big categories this year has been the super-zooms. As the technology has advanced they've managed to stuff more and more into those tiny chassis with over 20x magnification and full DSLR processors inside almost as standard, plus the inevitable HD video shooting too. See Samsung's WB5000, the Panasonic FZ35 & 38, the Powershot SX20 & S90 and the Nikon P90 for some excellent examples. Take it one stage further and you meet the compact cameras that cost more than the low end big versions. Designed as walkabout cameras for professionals, where perhaps a DSLR might get in the way, you'll find the Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR and the upgrade of the hugely successful G10, the Canon G11.

It's now even possible to mistake the level of sophistication that lies within these super gadgets with a trend towards old school looks burning a strong line this year, particularly with the rise of the micro four thirds system most famously in the Olympus EP-1 but also with great grace in the Panasonic GF1, the cooler cousin to the high spec of the Lumix GH1 with its HD video improvement on last year's model. At the same time there have been equal levels of excitement over the return of the Rangefinder in digital form although few will ever use it with it coming at Leica prices.

Finally the sub-category has produced machines that'll simply record anywhere with rugged and waterproof models from Olympus, Canon and GE and, best of all, there's been the down right bizarre with the dual screen Samsung ST550 & ST500, the dual lensed 3D-shooting FujiFilm W13D and the dual functioned retake on the insta-matic with the POGO camera from Polaroid as well as the return of the original itself.

If that lot wasn't enough, just about every device has become better connected, as is our want, as the power of the interweb grows, and it's regular business to see cameras with GPS, Wi-Fi and all sorts of native support for Flickr, Facebook and YouTube uploads. What on Earth will they think of next?

Camcorders

If you need us to point out the most obvious trend in the camcorder department, then you've been on another planet for the last 12 months. No, we're not talking about HD but pocket-sized recorders - which as it goes, are pretty much all HD now anyway with only a small clutch not quite as Full as the others. The huge success of the of the Flip Mino spawned not only the 720p Flip Mino HD but also latterly the premium Flip Ultra range with more memory and resolution than ever before.

Creative has followed suit with the Vado HD and Kodak has continued to show us there is life after film with the impressive Zi8. Naturally, Samsung has spotted the same gold rush and come up with something special all of their own with the HMX-U10, while Toshiba has decided to do it their own way, for better or for worse, with the Camileo S10 at the beginning of the year and more recently the upgraded S20 and higher spec, larger form friends at IFA 2009. Even Medion, who seems to be popping up in all sorts of unexpected award categories, has pitched in with some style and purpose, as well as the usual value, focusing on rugged utility with the Life S47000.

With high resolutions and impressive frame rates already well established in more serious camcorders, this year provided an opportunity for the industry to do something that technology does when it has nothing better to do - make everything the same but smaller. However, what was recognised was that with greater power comes a greater responsibility and both battery life and stability have been well looked after, while developing their two greatest enemies - memory space and zoom. The choice for the former seems to have been to stay away from inefficient, energy consuming HDDs and either go with SSD or memory card solutions from the Canon LEGRIA series to the superb selection of Sanyo Xacti Dual camcorders all the way back in Q1. Perhaps the most interesting technology here though has come from Sony in the CX505VE Handycam, still positioned as the only camera at this level to feature 3-dimensional stability control - pitch, roll and turn all cancelled out.

Mobile Phones

Resolution has been on the rise for quite some time now in mobile phones but when the compact business decided that HD recording was the new megapixels, someone forgot to tell the handset manufacturers. The Samsung Pixon12 was the first to catch up with the dedicated gadgets but there have been plenty of others with the same functions, features and nigh on glassware as the compact cameras - if with slightly lower megapixel counts. Take your pick from the LG Viewty Smart, the Sony Ericsson W995, the Nokias N86 and N97 and even the HD video shooting of the Samsung i8910. While no one would suggest that these phones offer as much as the dedicated cameras, it's hard to argue that the shots you can get out of them are certainly good enough. The next assault will be to get optical zoom sorted.

The Rest

Beyond the quality snappers, there's a whole world of digital imaging out there that doesn't need that same level of finesse but are excellent gadgets noe the less. Webcams managed to go HD this year with the Microsoft Lifecam and even take on a new form with IP cameras, essentially for surveillance of one kind or another that you can network and view from anywhere on line. The Y-cam and Compro IP50 are good examples as any.

Finally, there's the pseudo-novelty angle with keychain spycams, dangerously probe-like USB snakecams and even something to see a day in the life of your pet too. Oh yes, and Apple added a video camera to the nano. Enough to consider? Now, go choose.

What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Camera 2009? Who have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - car gadgets
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - music gadgets
• News - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale

Tags: Cameras Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Camcorders Webcams Mobile phones DSLR cameras Compact cameras Nikon Canon Olympus Panasonic Features

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - digital cameras originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:59:14 +0000

There is no denying it, the end of the year is in sight with all its usual festivities, and with it there is the usual extra push on consumers to spend their hard-earned cash.

One way you might want to do this is in the creation of a personalised photo-calendar, if so, then Ebuyer's photo service - SnapFish - can help in not only the creation, but by offering a 50% reduction of the usual cost - taking it to ?7.50. With this you'll also get credits for 30 free 6 x 4-inch prints when you upload your first photo to the site.

A point you might want to consider before going ahead is that the delivery of the calendar will cost you ?1.99, taking your total spend to ?9.49. For this ?1.99, however, SnapFish says the calendar will be delivered "straight to your door" (As opposed to dumping it at the end of the street?), which is good of them.

You'll need the coupon code "50CAL" to claim the discount and the offer is available for 2 weeks only, finishing on the 16 November 2009.

This link will take you straight through to the SnapFish registration page and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Tags: Cameras Printing services Ebuyer Snapfish Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Half price photo calendar from SnapFish originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Panasonic’s first two Micro Four Thirds system cameras – last year’s G1 and this spring’s GH1, which added high-def video – based their designs on that of traditional digital SLRs. Even though technically they weren’t, having junked the integral mirror box mechanism in order to bring lens and sensor closer together.

In theory this promised more diminutive camera bodies and lenses, yet in practice neither G1 nor GH1 are much smaller than the latest entry-level DSLRs based around regular APS-C sized sensors.

But that aspect is about to change. As the advertising blurb runs, the new Micro Four Thirds Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is like a DSLR – in that lenses can be changed and image quality is a step up from a bridge camera – only smaller.

Its styling is closer to a compact camera, albeit one that will be a snug fit for even the deep pocket of an overcoat; the busy top plate control layout recalling the look of a high-end rangefinder camera. It is the manufacturer’s answer to, and direct rival of, Olympus’ E-P1, otherwise known as the Pen.

While that camera’s hybrid nature was deemed revolutionary on release, it omitted a couple of fairly crucial features for the photo enthusiast – especially one spending ?600 on a body without lens.

Fortunately the similarly solidly built (but fractionally lighter) GF1 has shoehorned in one of its rival’s omissions – a flash of the pop-up variety to maintain the Lumix’s boxy lines – whilst, doubtless partly due again to size, still failing to deliver an optical viewfinder.

However it does offer an electronic viewfinder (EVF) like those incorporated on the G1 and GH1, as an optional extra that clips onto the vacant top plate hotshoe. This costs around ?160, compared to ?100 for an optional optical viewfinder for the Olympus Pen.

Photos are composed on the GF1 in its absence via the 3-inch, 460k-dot resolution LCD with Live View; double the resolution offered by the E-P1, which in our eyes makes for a much smoother, more life-like display image.

Headline resolution is otherwise nigh on identical, at 12.1 effective megapixels from a 13.1 megapixel LiveMOS sensor, and, like the Pen is basically a concertinaed Olympus E-series DSLR, so the GF1 squeezes the functionality of its G1 and GH1 forebears into a more manageable shape.

This includes a mono HD video mode with a dedicated recording button, and a choice of AVCHD or (more widely compatible) Motion JPEG compression, resolution being the lower 1280 x 720 pixels rather than the Full HD 1920 x 1080. A side mounted HDMI port is also provided for hooking the camera up to an HD TV, though the required cable costs extra.

If you really want the most compact camera solution, then opt for the 20mm non zoom "pancake" lens we had on test, equivalent to 40mm in 35mm terms, which, when bought in conjunction with the Panasonic body, will set you back a not-so-cool ?800. We found it works best for shooting portraits and close ups, where a shallow depth of focus, blurring distracting backgrounds, proves a specific aid to creativity.

If we’ve one true criticism it's that the blocky, rectangular GF1 lacks anyway in the way of a decent grip, with only a thin raised strip on the front providing purchase for the fingers when shooting handheld. Still, it’s also possible to use the camera as a gloried point and shoot courtesy of Panasonic’s reliable intelligent Auto (iA) mode, whereby it recognises common scenes and subjects and adjusts settings automatically, saving the user otherwise fiddling around with controls and dials to achieve similar results.

With the GF1 powering up for action with DSLR-approximate swiftness in just over a second, other built-in aids to creativity include its "My Colors" modes that come across as Panasonic’s re-interpretation of the Olympus Pen’s Art Filters. They even include a pop art style "Dynamic Art" option.

We also get film simulation modes "borrowed" from its G1 and GH1 siblings and a Peripheral Defocus Mode that blurs potentially distracting backgrounds – even when you’re not shooting with a 20mm lens. Left on standard default settings colours are rendered beautifully natural and life-like with a crispness few standard fixed lens compacts could match. Impressive stuff – though of course it comes at a price.

Verdict:

So does the GF1 beat the Pen as the best, most affordable DSLR/compact hybrid to date?

Of course the answer depends on your personal requirements, but used as a tool for general purpose photography, the clearer, smoother LCD for shot composition and review, plus built-in flash inevitably take the Panasonic up a notch.

It therefore gets our vote as the current most successful marriage of DSLR functionality with compact portability and usability. But with further incarnations of the Pen promised very soon by Olympus, it’s unlikely to stay that way for long.

It’s also worth noting that for the near ?600 UK asking price for the GF1, one could buy a very capable APS-C sized DSLR with lens included.

PHOTOS: Panasonic Lumix GF1 digital camera

Tags: Cameras Micro Four Thirds Compact cameras DSLR cameras 12 megapixels Panasonic Panasonic Lumix GF1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Kodak has introduced the Pic Flick App, a new, free iPhone and iPod touch app that lets users upload pictures to a Kodak W1020 wireless digital frame or print them wirelessly on the Kodak ESP 5250 all-in-one Wi-Fi-enabled printer.

"The Kodak Pic Flick App provides a fast, easy and fun way to print, display and share within seconds of capturing a moment at home or away from home", said Randy Brody, vice-president of marketing inkjet systems, Eastman Kodak Company. ?

The Kodak Pic Flick App works on Apple iPhone and iPod touch devices using OS version 2.2 and above and is available in the States on the App Store for free.

There's more information over at www.Kodak.com/go/PicFlick .

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Kodak Cameras

Kodak launches Pic Flick App for iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:16:14 +0000

Movember is upon us once more and that means plenty of talk about moustaches, moustache gadgets and of course not forgetting the main reason for the facial hair growth - helping raise awareness for?prostate Cancer.

Over the next 30 days the Pocket-lint team and others will be growing a moustache for charity. It's a tough job that from experience means we will be ridiculed, stared at, and worse still not get many kisses.

But fear not my hairless friends (that's you), it is not too late to join our hairy(ish) team.

We will be keeping a mo diary on the site so you can see our progress and expect plenty of related features exploring everything "Mo".

Men of tech! (that's you) join our brethren.

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Tags: Gadgets Bathroom gadgets Movember Comment Audio Car And GPS Dad Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Gentlemen start your Mo originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:35:49 +0000

Pocket camcorder brand Flip has emulated T-Mobile's popular Liverpool Street Station dance event with a similar effort in the decidedly more sunny setting of Australia's Bondi Beach.

Performed as part of a promotion for the launch of the Flip Mino HD video camera, the corporate flash mob is kick-started by a man in Speedos dancing alone to Ben Lee's "Catch My Disease" until 200 other dancers join the routine. Hit play to see action from the impromptu sequence now.

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Tags: Cameras Camcorders Flip Advertising Video Pure Digital T-Mobile

VIDEO: Flip does a T-Mo with flash mob dance on Bondi beach originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:41 +0000

Photographers, amateur and professional alike might well be interested in today's tech deal as Quidco is offering 10% cashback on all online purchases from Jessops until Monday 2 November.

This is all part of Jessops' tenth anniversary celebrations and as well as the 10% cashback you can get free delivery on all purchases over ?50.

Jessops are cited as having one of the "most comprehensive selection of compact digital cameras and digital SLR cameras", so if you're in the market yourself or perhaps looking for a prezzie for someone then this might be worth checking out.

The link below takes you through to the Quidco website and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Tags: Cameras Jessops Quidco Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Quidco offers 10% cashback on Jessops online purchases originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Motorola has launched a new range of digital photo frames, including dual display frames and a Wi-Fi model that allows images to be sent directly to the frame by email.

The LS1000W offers a 10.4-inch display, boasts 512 MB built-in memory, MP3 player and speakers, as well as an alarm clock and calendar function.

The ?200 frame gets Wi-Fi connectivity as well as content from the thousand FrameChannel online channels that can be viewed on the device including internet radio.

The ?80 LS420 Duo offers two 4.2-inch displays, one of which can be selected to view calendar and clock info. The LS720D offers the same theory, but larger 7-inch displays as well as MP3 playback, speakers and a remote control for ?130.

Other models include the LS700, a ?50 basic 7-incher and the LS1000 for ?150 that's basically the same as the other 10-incher but minus the Wi-Fi. The new range is available at Argos.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames Motorola Wi-Fi Argos

Motorola launches digi-frames with dual displays and Wi-Fi originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:23:26 +0000

The new EOS 7D is a fully redesigned EOS with high performance in mind so the new, extremely well-specified, EOS marks a step change for Canon's EOS models featuring an 18MP APS-C sized sensor and HD video to name two of the key features.

At first glance the EOS 7D seems to be like many other Canon EOS DSLRs with the familiar, slightly swooping top plate design and deeply recessed handgrip. The pentaprism housing hosts a useful pop-up flash unit and it is this that starts to mark the 7D out as being a little different from recent EOS models, such as the 5D Mark II, to which it is closely allied.

However, the 7D is a quite radical departure for the EOS marque, one designed to slot between the 50D and 5D Mark II and a not insignificant price tag of just shy of ?1700 may need some justifying for many tempted by its treats.

It is also a camera designed to help Canon pull back market share that competitors have been nibbling away at over recent months, to provide a professional level of control and performance within a body priced at the semi-professional level.

Headline changes are impressive, a new APS-C sized, 18MP CMOS sensor and 19 zone (all cross type) AF setup, which sports its own processor making AF accurate and blisteringly fast, particularly when tracking fast moving subjects.

8fps sequence shooting is very good indeed, the AF tracking across the frame proving no problem. However, slightly more challenging were subjects moving directly at the camera, which were less well handled.

However, given the camera is shooting at a class leading 18-megapixels at 8fps - for up to 126 JPEGs - that's not bad. Though to get that speed and buffer power, you'll need to use UDMA CF Type I/II storage.

This is key when shooting RAW; the buffer starts to bulge at 15-images but the camera's all new image engine, dual DIGIC 4 image processors, means that while the frame rate does drop as the buffers fills, it'll continue to shoot at around 3fps as the camera gulps down the huge, (up to) 30MB gobbets of RAW image data. Still, the only camera to compete with it in terms of speed is the 10fps professional-level EOS 1D Mark III.

You can fully customise the AF set-up; the AF points used for both camera orientations as well as the AF mode used can be changed or tweaked to how you want them; you can also build-in specific AF tweaks for specific lenses if required. The 7D’s AF makes use of the camera's accelerometers, which also provide data for the camera's rather natty built-in electronic spirit level system.

One caveat to the AF speed is when shooting in Live View, which has three focus modes of Live mode, Face AF Live mode and Quick mode. The latter is relatively fast, as you'd expect, but the other two settings are slower and of course when shooting in Live View, you have to factor in the time needed to get the mirror up and out of the way; then back again and between each exposure.

One of the best things about the 7D is its new, clear and bright viewfinder; the 7D is the first EOS offering a 100% field of view finder, at 1.0x magnification and it's probably the best APS-C DSLR viewfinder we've come across.

We particularly like the transmissive LCD used for a clever heads-up-display for framing and AF point selection indication, and it provides a comprehensive level of shooting data that helps make this finder a joy.

A 22mm eyepoint makes using the finder excellent when wearing spectacles, but only just, as the bottom extremes of the data information are only just visible. The large pentaprism “hump” denotes the camera from its older 50D sibling and hides the aforementioned pop-up Speedlite, a useful addition for those moments where a puff of flash can lift a backlit shot, say.

One disappointment centres on the otherwise superb 3-inch Clear View II LCD screen, with its 920k-pixel resolution. It is not articulated and while it features a wide 160-degree viewing angle (Canon has stripped away the air gap between the protective cover and liquid crystal found on previous iterations of such screens to improve contrast and reduce glare, which it does) reflections can still be an issue in bright conditions when using the screen at such oblique angles.

A magnesium alloy body has a suitably tactile covering, so holding the thing is reassuring and making it easy to hang on to in the rain –?while environmental seals ensure the camera is in no way compromised by such shooting conditions.

Wireless flash control means the 7D has another EOS first. It's the first EOS to have an integral Speedlite transmitter, allowing remote control of (up to) three groups of four flashguns - an impressive pro' level of performance at the price.

In terms of the physical controls, the most obvious thing is they are larger than on both the 50D and 5D Mark II, ideal for use wearing gloves in inclement weather and, now there's a dedicated switch for Live View and movie shooting with an integral Start/Stop button for recording. This marks a step change because at last the camera's movie mode is an integral camera system, part of the default kit and operations, as opposed to a seemingly add-on feature as on previous EOS models.

Otherwise, the layout is typically EOS, though the control dial lock and power switch have been separated; the on/off switch now nestles below the mode dial on the top plate, along with other adjustments, a much more logical - and welcome - handling enhancement.

A couple of new controls include a dedicated button to quickly change the selected image quality setting to RAW + JPEG and a new “Q” button, which activates an interactive display of your control options on the screen, which you can browse and select using the control dial, the multi-selector control and the Set button.

This is nice since those familiar with the physical controls of an EOS, and the menus, can carry on as before, while those less familiar to the camera (or EOS models, if trading up or across to the 7D) can still get at everything, quickly and simply and importantly, learn the controls and what they do as they go.

And it is here that we get even closer to the beating heart of the 7D since, despite all the new kit and the 1080p movie making frills, it still looks quite pricey. Yes, it has significant enhancement over the 50D, but the question is simply this: “Should I consider trading up to this model?”

If you looked at the 7D as an EOS 5D Mark II “lite”, it might not look good value. The APS-C format means there is a 1.6x field of view adjustment needed for any focal length you use compared with the full frame 5D Mark II. Although the additional depth of field control this provides, certainly where portrait or macro work is involved, and the extra leg it gives any telephoto optics or zooms, arguably outweighs this as a possible niggle, compared to the full frame 5D Mark II.

However, throw in the fact the 5D Mark II costs around ?1000 more, and you realise that much of your hard-earned cash would make a great fund towards more (or better) optics; it is certainly not as straight forward an equation as it might at first seem. So now consider this…

Compared to the ?4000 (body only) EOS1D Mark III, the Canon it most closely resembles in terms of speedy performance, say, and suddenly you get another complexion completely. You could buy two 7D bodies for the price of one 1D Mark III and have plenty of change over for another lens.

Okay, so you loose a couple frames per second continuous shooting compared with the 1D Mark III but then you gain a greater sensitivity range; ISO 100 to a boosted ISO 12,800. And you get Full HD movies (with stereo sound when using optional stereo microphones) plus a superb new viewfinder.

Also bear in mind, the build quality is on a par with the 1D Mark III but the camera control is (arguably) better than the more expensive Mark III sibling. Oh! And you'll have a spare back-up 7D body into the bargain.

Metering and exposure control are pretty faultless, a new Focus Colour Luminance system measuring (as the name suggests) focus, and colour and luminance across 63 zones, while switching between the four metering modes of evaluative, partial, centre-weighted average and spot metering, provide differing “looks” to the same scene, depending on where you meter in a scene. On balance, my preference was for centre-weighted average, which gave the best overall metering balance overall.

Detail and colour are excellent; shooting RAW+JPEG gave superb results though the auto WB setting left things looking a tad warm. Processing the RAWs (I shot RAW + JPEG throughout) using the supplied Canon Digital Photo Professional software was easy, even if said software is a tad slow, particularly when exporting the RAWs as JPEGs.

One of the most impressive aspects of the 7D is the low noise performance at higher ISOs. Shooting between ISO 100 and ISO 2000 was a delight, since noise is non-existent at the lower end of that scale and almost invisible at the higher end.

A series of ISO test images show the amount of detail retained up to ISO 2000 is good, above ISO 3200 details starts to drop away but noise is still well controlled. Above ISO 6400 and detail is stripped away making images seem rather fuzzy, which is a shame.

The dual DIGIC IV engine really struts its stuff in the 7D, but arguably overdoing it a bit at ISO 5000 to 12,800. Noise processing can be adjusted (as can much of the camera settings) to your preference.

The only other slight niggle is some purple and blue fringing on some high contrast subjects shooting using the cameras new EF-S 18-135mm IS zoom; in RAW you can process this away if needed, but the net effect otherwise, is to give a slight softness to the images in which the fringing is present and add another level of work to post shoot processing.

The EOS 7D is the third EOS to sport Full HD at 1920 x 1080-pixels after the 5D Mark II and EOS 500D. Shot at 29.97fps the 7D provides superbly smooth widescreen video with sound. Stereo sound can be recorded with optional stereo microphones that can plug straight into the camera. Clips up to a second shy of 30-minutes can be shot in HD, providing you use UDMA CF cards. Otherwise the longest clip possible is of a lowly, 5 seconds duration. You also get full manual control over shutter speeds and aperture settings during shooting, though focusing adjustment needs to be done manually.

The camera's custom control interface is another example of how this camera's handling has been enhanced. Here, a simple diagrammatic representation of the camera control layout is shown providing a fast ready reckoner of what button does what. Each camera control location has a highlight and a range of adjacent options to change the behaviours of the buttons or control in the display, and that makes sorting your preferred custom camera control very easy and provides an almost endless range of options.

I shot around 1300 images for this test and all of that on two charges of the LP-E6 battery pack. The last charge is still at 80%, checked from within the camera's menus system; after a full, 2 days of shooting, I still had 23% of power to spare on the first charge and that after plenty of reviewing on the screen, frequent Live View shooting and a modest amount of (built-in) flash photography. This is very impressive power performance indeed.

Verdict:

Well made, quickly intuitive to use, fleet-of-foot across most performance measures and able to produce stunning results, even at high sensitivity settings, all means the Canon EOS 7D is both a cleverly realised combination of professional specification and semi-professional pricing.

The EOS 5D Mark II is the step down model for those social photographers working on a tighter budget compared against the 1Ds Mark III, here, the EOS 7D provides the same job for sports or wildlife photographers compared with the EOS 1D Mark III.

The 1.6x APS-C field of view crop boosts your lens focal lengths, helping you help tuck your subject tight into the frame, while the smaller 18MP CMOS sensor (than the full frame chip in the EOS 5D Mark II) means it can be blisteringly fast too.

There's no compromise on image quality apart from (arguably) shooting above ISOs of 6400 and the purple fringing evident in some high contrast shots. The 7D might not be the natural substitute for those social photographers thinking of the 5D Mark II, but for those shooting sporty stuff or where longer focal lengths need to be considered for wildlife work, and you're on a tighter budget, the 7D makes a lot more sense than the EOS 1D Mk III. Looked at in that way, it also represents superb value for money as well.

Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Canon Canon EOS 7D 18 megapixels

Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:52:20 +0000

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:03:36 +0000

If you're a disorganised photographer then chances are you store your digital photos on your computer, back them up and then forget about them until someone says:

"Do you have a picture of a women on a bus in London eating a sandwich?"

Of course you do, but how the devil do you find it. In steps Adobe's Lightroom package that allows you to catalogue your photo collection and edit your photos without getting too "Photoshopy" and then print them or publish them to the Web.

Lightroom has been around for sometime, but with a new version, Lightroom 3, entering public beta, what can we look forward to in the new model, and should you start using it from today.

The first thing you should note is that this is very much a beta and Adobe is keen to express that. What that means is that there is no official support for the software and there are a number of features Adobe says are yet to come. It also means that you can't import your current Lightroom 2 catalogue into the software package just yet and that's probably not that much of a bad thing - you don't want all your metadata corrupting do you?

So for the purpose of our review we imported a number of images into the catalogue and ran the software side by side measuring the performance and keeping a close eye on the differences.

So what's new? Well one of the main things that isn't is the interface. While there were fairly large changes from Lightroom to Lightroom 2 in the look and feel of the package, here, the transition to Lightroom 3 is going to be minimal. For us that's a good thing. While not everything is perfect, we are happy with the structure of Lightroom and find it fairly easy to navigate around the package. The same can be said for Lightroom 3. The panels are all in the same place and apart from the odd new button or panel, everything is how you know it.

The main focus therefore has been on how the program works with your images and how you get them in.

The import window sees the biggest overhaul with a completely redesigned interface that is not only more in keeping with the design style of Lightroom, but also in functionality.

Split into three panels, you can select the source from the left, the target on the right and see the images you're importing in the middle, whether it's from a disk, drive or memory card. You now also get "Loupe" ie single image view and can choose to add, copy or move them into the catalogue. There is also the option to add metadata or keywords as before and save all those options so it's just a press of a single button the next time. If you aren't interested in any of that you can compact the import view to a single bar, which gets to work straight away. Overall it's a massive improvement and makes getting your images into the system quick and simple, especially in comparison to Lightroom 2.

Those familiar with Lightroom know that the package is split up into different zones; Library, Develop, Slideshow, Print, and Web.?

Library

New features to the Library include adding photo uploading services support so you can now upload images directly to flickr and the like. Within the beta you can only upload to flickr, although Adobe says that other galleries, presumably like their own Photoshop online service will be added.

The system works as a gateway to the service rather than just an uploader and that means you have control over what is online, what isn't and the ability to sync it with comments for example.

Interestingly you can also create a synced folder that doesn't have to be online but on a network drive or even your iPhone. With the system you can then sync photos to and from that device. It's easy and if you are transferring images on an external hard drive it's a good way to "check-in" and "check out" images from your catalogue.

Elsewhere multiple info views have been added to the Loupe view, there is the ability to auto sync in library mode (something that was only available in develop previously) and greater import control into specific folders. A small detail, but nonetheless one we've found helpful is the ability to see within sub-folders. And lock filters from folder to folder.

Develop

Develop has seen the most "under the hood" development, after all Adobe has got to justify the upgrade from 2 to 3 somewhere. Here you get improvements to the processing options for RAW and jpeg.

The imaging improvements are there but for the most part subtle. Zoom in 1:1 and you'll see the changes, work from afar and you'll be wondering whether it's done anything, but they are there.

New tools and sliders to master include sharpening, colour noise reduction, a re-structuring of the vignette tool for a more natural effect as well as the ability to control the colour and highlighting vignette to boot.

You can also add a grain effect for those looking for more of a "film" look, although we personally haven't found a reason to use this yet.

There is also a camera calibration mode now that allows you to try and correct chromatic abrasion, however this isn't an automated process like some software packages, which would be a really nice addition.

Finally Brushes has had a good overhaul and its now a lot easier to use on your photos.

When the package is finally ready you'll also be able to choose whether or not to reimport your Lightroom 2 images in with the new settings or leave them as they were - either way doing so will change the look of the image.

The good news is that in the beta the processing and general performance of the software was good, nippier in most cases than Lightroom 2, although we aren't ruling out the possibility that it's because our Lightroom 2 catalogue has over 16,000 (yes 16,000) photos in it.

Slideshow, Print, and Web

Slideshow gets a brief look in via the ability to add music from your music folder to your images. A nice touch is that the software will automatically change the length the photos are shown so it fits the music to save you having to try and work it out. You can then dump the slideshow into H.264 to do as you will.

Likewise Print gets more "interactive" templates that make it easier to create printouts for your clients all at the drag of a mouse, rather than having to actually really understand anything.

As for web support? Easier watermarking and that's about it for the moment.

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Verdict:

Lightroom 3 looks to be taking the software in the right direction, although for beta users you will be mainly seeing under the hood changes rather than anything that will visually knock your socks off from the get go.

Adobe is clearly following Microsoft and the Windows 7 route here by allowing its user base to get to grips with the software in order to hear how they use it so the package can be improved. It's a new way of developing software but one that is worth the input.

I think the biggest disappointment is the inability to upgrade my current catalogue - doing so would allow people to give it a good run for its money rather than treating it like a sandbox. If this was the case it would allow you to really get to grips with what does and doesn't work by the time the software eventually comes out.

Promising, but without the ability to import your own catalogue you'll find this is a weekend intrigue rather than your new favourite software package until the final version is released.

Tags: Software Mac software PC software Photo editing software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Cameras

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

ThinkGeek is offering, what it calls, the first ever analogue "digital" photo frame.?

The frame features a Mac software window silk-screened onto it described as "a manually-applied representation of a computer interface which holds your printed image which was probably taken on a digital camera".

The wooden photo frame measures around 5 inches wide by 3 inches high and offers a pressboard kickstand-style stand. It's on sale now for $24.99.

Related links:

• Shop - ThinkGeek

Tags: Home And Kitchen Frames Cameras ThinkGeek

ThinkGeek offers image.jpg photo frame originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:07:24 +0000

"Oh that's a nice picture" you hear one of your family or mates say when they are around your house looking at a photo on your mantle piece. "Can I have a copy?"

You've then got the hassle of finding that picture, printing it out and then probably sending it to them as the whole process has taken so long they've given up and gone home. Sony is hoping to cut out the waiting with the launch of a digital photo frame with a built-in printer, so you can create and deliver the print there and then.

Sounds great, but is it?

The DPP-F700 sports a 7-inch, 16:10 WVGA screen with a resolution 800 x 480 and can print 4 x 6-inch, 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds.

The frame, which features a large black boarder offers touch-sensitive controls, that like other frames on the market, appear only on touch, however for some reason Sony has opted to use a different non-gloss material - a matt plastic it seems, which doesn't work.

Controls allow you to navigate through the basic menu system and here you can edit images before printing with options including enlarge, reduce, crop, date stamp on/off, border/borderless as well as brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness adjustment.

Images can be transferred onto the frame via USB from a PC, and there is an array of memory card slots around the side including support for SD, MMC, Compact Flash and xD.

Failing that, there is 1GB of on-board storage. Storage levels will vary, with Sony boasting 2000 images as a headline grabbing number, but as this is only at a 2-megapixel resolution, expect this number to be around 200 if you're using a 7-megapixel or higher camera.

The DPP-F700 uses dye-sublimation as the printing technology, the print quality was good, not amazing, however they were able to be handled straight away when we played with the printer at a trade show.

The concept is perfect, unfortunately the realisation isn’t. The biggest problem isn't the quality of prints, or the software interface, it's the form factor.

As you might imagine adding a printer into a photo frame will add some bulk to a photo frame. Sony has surprisingly done a pretty good job of hiding this underneath the frame (see pictures) and the end result therefore is that it looks like you've perched a regular digital photo frame on to a box, no problem there.

The problem, however, is that rather than then put the photo paper tray within this box or to the side, it sits rather awkwardly out the front giving the game away that there is a printer hiding inside.

Yes it is detachable, but that's not the point. There is no way you could place it anywhere like a window ledge or mantle piece because of the width of the overall footprint. So you might as well give up on the idea altogether and use a small compact printer.

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Verdict:

In the future, if we are still printing photos, all digital photo frames will have a printer built in. It makes sense, it's a nice idea and we can see why someone at Sony approved the making of the DPP-F700.

However, it seems that "approving person" walked away after they were pitched the idea, as the end result neither looks good or has a form factor that would make it suitable (from our brief play) for where it should live in the living room.

This really is one of those moments where the end result could have been so much better.

The DPP-F700 digital photo frame-printer will be available in the States for about $200 in January.

Tags: Cameras Sony Digital photo frames Printers Photo printers Sony S-Frame DPP-F700

Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 digital photo frame - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Stuart Miles brings us his customary comment from NYC with a look at the talking points from this week in tech.

Under the spotlight in this instalment is Apple's Magic Mouse and whether this is the beginning of the end for the button and the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.

Miles also muses the rise of real-time search with the news that Google and Bing are due to integrate Twitter content into their search results as well as offering thoughts on Google's Social Search.

The fact that Nokia is suing Apple for patent infringement is the final topic under consideration - is the Finnish giant protecting its patents or looking for a quick cash injection? Hit play for more...

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Comment Video

VIDEO: Tech Week in View: Magic Mouse, Social Search and Nokia sues Apple originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Sony has recently announced a new digital photo frame?with a built-in printer, but what does it actually look like in the flesh? Pocket-lint was on hand to snap a photo gallery when it made a quick pit-stop in New York.

The new?Sony digital S-Frame DPP-F700?is an all-in-one device that gets a 7-inch display with an 800 x 480 resolution and can print 4 x 6-inch, 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds.

The idea is that you'll be able to print out a photo when you get the usual comment of "Oh I love this one, can I have a copy?"

You'll be able to edit the images in frame, meaning you won't have to worry about a PC, however the large form factor and ugly-looking paper tray means this is unlikely to find space on your mantle piece.

The DPP-F700 digital photo frame-printer will be available in the States for about $200 in January.

Tags: Cameras Sony Digital photo frames Printers Photo printers Sony S-Frame DPP-F700

PHOTOS: Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:07:28 +0000

Until the 2 November Jessops is offering discounts on a variety of digital cameras and accessories to celebrate 10 years of Jessops.com.

Today sees the Nikon Coolpix S640 on sale with a ?199 price tag and free standard delivery, Although a good price - we haven't seen it cheaper - Amazon is charging around the same.

This 12 megapixel effort has 5x optical and 4x digital zoom coming from its Nikkor lens, whilst other features include a 2.7-inch "wide viewing angle LCD" and all the usual modes you'd find on a camera of this ilk. Subject tracking, advanced face priority and 4x anti-blur all help in your quest for that perfect shot. Nikon's smart portrait system on the other hand includes a smile timer, blink warning and skin softening - which adjusts un-even skin tones - ensuring that everyone will be struggling to recognise themselves when you finally get round to printing the pictures.

The deals change daily so if this doesn't take your fancy it might be worth having another visit as the week goes on for more offers, meanwhile make sure you check back to Pocket-lint tomorrow as we'll have another tech deal for you to cast your eyes over.

Related links:

• Shop - Jessops.com

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Nikon Jessops Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Jessops.com 10-year celebration originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

We’ve not come across many – if any – digital camera upgrades that have taken a step back in terms of "specification".

But, on perusing the enthusiast targeted G11’s headline features, when compared with the G10 it appears that is exactly what has happened: 10 megapixels instead of its predecessor’s 14.7, a smaller LCD screen at 2.8-inches rather than 3, battery life at 390 shots from a full charge falling short of its forebear’s 400, and even a reduced burst mode of a lowly 1.1fps rather than 1.3fps.

At least the stabilised optical zoom has stayed the same at 5x, with a broader than average focal range of 28-140mm, making it as well suited to landscapes and group portraits as paparazzi-style close ups.

So what gives? Well, while reducing pixel count, Canon has kept the same size 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor as the G10, the inference being that less pixels crammed into the same space may produce a better performance in terms of reduced noise/grain when shooting in low light and at higher ISO settings.

This theory is born out upon discovering that maximum user selectable ISO has been raised from a previous ISO 1600 to ISO 3200, with a further ISO 12,800 equivalent option now achievable via a low light mode on the camera’s top mounted shooting dial – albeit with resolution dropping to 2.5 megapixels at this expanded setting.

The smaller LCD is also explained away by the fact that it is now of the vari-angle, rotate and twist variety, rather than the G10’s standard fixed display.

This is a boon for those who want to experiment with shooting from creative angles where it would be otherwise impossible to get an eye level with the optical viewfinder directly above – and the manufacturer claims its implementation was the result of customer requests. It can further be folded screen inwards to the body to provide an added degree of protection.

Worry not though, as the overall construction of the G11 is, as expected, reassuringly rock solid with chunky lithium-ion rechargeable battery and optional (yet essential) SD media card inserted. Its ruggedness practically matches that of an entry-level DSLR that you could alternatively buy for this compact’s ?569 UK price tag.

Weight without such accessories is a manageable 355g, though its shape – not too dissimilar to Panasonic’s similarly priced rival in the new GF1 – means it is one for slipping into the deep pocket of an overcoat rather than your skinny fit jeans.

Indicating that this camera is aimed at the more advanced user, even if it does feature the usual full auto options, are the array of rangefinder-like dials and controls festooning the top plate.

These allow the manual adjustment of exposure (+/- 2EV), the aforementioned ISO settings, plus the choosing of shooting modes. On the G11 we have the usual program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes, plus 17 pre-optimised scene settings and a video mode, though sadly recording in standard definition 640 x 480 pixels rather than the increasingly ubiquitous high definition. The optical zoom can’t be used either when shooting video, which is a pain.

In contrast to the busy top plate, which also throws in a hotshoe for optional flashgun, the G11’s front plate looks rather spare. It’s dominated by lens with automatic cover that slides open on activation as its barrel extends to maximum wide-angle setting in just over a second. A filter thread is provided for the attachment of supplementary lens converters, while a subtly sloping padded ridge to the front provides purchase for the fingers.

Oddly though, we couldn’t find anywhere identifiable to place our thumb at the G11’s back plate when gripping for a handheld shot, leaving it to wander over the operational controls, one of which is the delete button.

Once you’ve lined up a shot via the adequately clear LCD or optical viewfinder above, press the shutter release button encircled by the zoom lever, and, with no noticeable shutter lag, a maximum resolution JPEG is committed to memory within 2-3 seconds.

The camera offers maximum quality, unprocessed RAW file capture too, selectable via a L-shaped toolbar on screen. Take a further shot in this mode and any difference in writing speed is barely noticeable, suggesting operational speed and image quality need not always be separate bedfellows.

Verdict:

So is it really worth spending as much, or more on the G11 than an interchangeable lens camera such as Panasonic’s GF1 or Olympus EP-1, or a full-blown digital SLR with standard APS-C sized sensor?

If the choice is a straight one, arguably not: we’d prefer the ability to swap lenses any day. But everyone’s requirements are different and the G11 does present photographers with a rather neat all-in-one solution, so there will be those thinking "so what that you can’t change the optic in use? What’s there is as much as I need".

It’s worth noting however that despite Canon trumpeting that with the G11 it has greatly improved low light photography, reducing noise and delivering a two-stop advantage, the camera has to first find a subject bright enough to focus on – in spite of its admittedly powerful AF assist lamp.

Even when it does, at maximum ISO 12,800 setting resultant images take on a watercolour effect, detail smudged. However, stick less ambitiously at ISO 3200 on the dial, and you get a result comparable to lesser compacts at ISO 800; much more impressive.

Shooting in less challenging daylight conditions the G11’s focus remains sharp with just a touch of barrel distortion at max wide angle and pixel fringing upon close inspection. We welcomed the ability to add punch to colours via a vivid "My Colours" option, plus apply a neutral density (ND) filter setting to preserve detail in landscapes when shooting images with contrasting dark foregrounds and bright backgrounds.

Taking all of the above into consideration however, unless you regularly shoot in low light and/or low to the ground or over the heads of a crowd whereby that flexible LCD screen might aid composition, sticking with the 14.7 megapixel G10 – identically priced at the time of writing – seems the sensible option.

But for those who do prefer that extra flexibility to "push" the image without resorting to the use of flash, the G11 is a solid contender in every sense.

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PHOTOS: Canon PowerShot G11

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Canon Canon PowerShot G11

Canon PowerShot G11 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0000

A new camera rig for your DSLR camera or camcorder is hoping to take your photography airborne thanks to a little help from a remote controlled helicopter.

Called SkyShutter, the custom built remote controlled helicopter allows those looking to create aerial photography on the cheap by mounting any device up to about 6lbs (your average video camera or DSLR) and taking it into the air.

Created to order, the miniature helicopter costs around $9,000 and comes with two remote controls; one for the copter and one for the mount so you can control the direction of the camera.

The company behind the creation says the "Helicam can easily manoeuvre through a narrow street to chase a car from one foot off the ground to 400 ft up".

The best recommendation from the designer Jason Lam when we spoke to him? Get some one who knows how to fly remote controlled helicopters else it could prove a very expensive shot.

Come on, admit it, you want one.?

Read

Tags: Cameras Gadgets Helicopters

RC helicopter rig flies your camera sky high originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:26:26 +0100

Canon has only just announced the new EOS 1D Mark IV, but that hasn't stopped us from having a brief play with the new camera when it made a quick pit stop in New York City on Friday at the PDN PhotoPlus conference.

The big, and we mean big, new camera is described by Canon as "a high-speed, professional digital SLR designed to empower photographers to capture split-second moments in high resolution, under the most challenging of conditions". ?

What that means is that you to get a 16.1-megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor as well as a new, advanced 45-point auto focus system with dual "DIGIC 4" processors, allowing for shooting of high-res pics at up to 10 frames per second. This is backed up with the widest ISO range ever to feature in a Canon camera with extended ISO ranges from a low of 50 to 102,400.

The new DSLR is robust and weatherproof with a full magnesium alloy body, can capture 1080p high definition video at 30, 25 and 24fps and 720p footage at 60 and 50fps.

There's a 3-inch Live View LCD display, revamped buttons and updated picture styles while the EOS 1D MARK IV is compatible with all existing EOS 1D Mark III accessories, EF lenses and EX Series Speedlite flash units.

In the hand and its an impressive piece of kit, which was quick to respond, and those two memory card slots (SD and CompactFlash) can be set to receive images in a variety of ways including jpegs on one and raw on the other, as a RAID solution (ie to both at the same time) in tandem and more.?

We were sneaky enough to slip in a Compact Flash card and shoot some pictures, however it seems we needn't have bothered as no software application we have in Pocket-lint towers (Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and Canon's own professional RAW manager) will allow us to open the files. Doh!

We will add the test shots in as soon as our software lets us open them.

The EOS 1D Mark IV is due to be available from the end of December 2009 priced at ?4499.00 or 5499.00 euros.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Canon DSLR cameras 16 megapixels Photos

PHOTOS: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:56:28 +0100

With the vast array of compact cameras available, if you're in the market for one it can possibly be a bit daunting to choose. So, as ever, Pocket-lint's tech deal will attempt to point you in the general direction of one of the better efforts, whilst keeping a close eye on the cash.

Play.com are currently selling the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 for just shy of ?150. Although they are claiming a saving of ?100 on the original ?250 RRP, from what we've seen in reality it's a saving of around ?30 on the next-best price.

The first thing to grab your attention is the 14.7-megapixel CCD sensor which makes use of the decent 28mm wide-angle Leica zoom lens, giving you 3.6x optical and 4x digital zoom.

All of your pictures can be viewed on the 2.7-inch LCD display, whilst the camera itself is feature packed with intelligent auto mode, AF tracking, scene selector, ISO control up to 1600 and scene selector.

The Panasonic DMC-FX150 is given the full run down on the Play.com website but we'd recommend visiting Pocket-lint's full review first, where the camera received a not-to-be-sniffed-at 8/10 score.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Panasonic DMC-FX150 Play Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Panasonic DMC-FX150 under £150 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Men of this world, this is your calling, your calling to sign up to become a real man, the kind of man that can present the news (Ron Burgundy), the kind of man that can be a private dick (Magnum PI) and not laugh about it, the kind of man....

Okay you get the gist. Movember is now almost upon us, and that means you need to sign up and get your moustache thoughts in gear.

Once again Pocket-lint will be going Movember for November in aid of charity and we are asking for your help.

We aren't asking for money (although you can pledge if you want), we aren't asking you to run hundreds of miles, all we want from you is to join our TechMo team, grow a moustache in November and help rid the world of the disease that kills thousands of men each year.

What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

The more that join us, the more we can "change the face of men's health" through raising awareness and the money that will be raised.

Let's do this - register and grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or sign on as a Mo Sista.

To join this Movember team go to http://uk.movember.com/register/7181 and follow the steps.

Once registered you'll be sent all the information you need to get growing.

Let's "Change the Face of Men's Health".

Stuart Miles and the Pocket-lint team.

P.S PR's of this world. Pledge money and we will give you a big shout out on the site for helping us in a good cause.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember TechMo team page

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Movember

Movember 2009: Join our TechMo team originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:45:19 +0100

Adobe?has announced the availability of Photoshop Lightroom 3 as a free download for photographers to try.?

The new application, which allows photographers to catalogue their photo collections as well as perform basic editing processes to their pictures will add a host of new features according to Adobe.

“While we’re still hard at work on Lightroom 3, we recognise the value our customers bring to the development process and want their input so we can deliver the best final product possible", said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for Professional Digital Imaging at Adobe justifying the move.

Supposedly completely redesigned under the hood to be faster, a bug bear of the Lightroom 2, the new software promises better handling of "image libraries and improved responsiveness with a higher-quality processing engine".

In the Library module, Adobe is promising a rebuilt import system bringing photos into the software more intuitive as well as allowing users to "easily specify the source and destination of their images, and save common processing, metadata or destination settings as easy-to-reuse presets".

In the Develop module, an overhauled processing engine allows users to create the highest quality images. Improved "Capture Sharpening" and "Colour Noise Reduction" tools apparently provide decent results while still preserving an image’s edge detail and contrast. A new Grain tool adds a film-style grain to images, and two new Vignette modes help photographers get a more natural look.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta is available as a free download to anyone on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Adobe has yet to announce when a full version of the software will be available and how much it will cost.

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Tags: Software PC software Mac software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Photoshop Lightroom 2 Photo editing software Cameras

Adobe Lightroom 3 beta released originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:36:10 +0100

Sony has announced the launch of a new multi-tasking digital photo frame - the S-Frame DPP-F700 - that offers a built-in photo printer.

The all-in-one device gets a 7-inch display with an 800 x 480 resolution and can print 4 x 6-inch, 300 x 300 dpi photos in 45 seconds.

The frame allows the user to edit images before printing with options including enlarge, reduce, crop, date stamp on/off, border/borderless as well as brightness, contrast, hue, and sharpness adjustment.

Images can be transferred onto the frame via USB from a PC, with support for Sony's memory card formats as well as SD, MMC, Compact Flash and xD.

Complete with remote control, the DPP-F700 digital photo frame-printer will be available in the States for about $200 in January.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Hands on photo gallery

Tags: Cameras Sony Digital photo frames Printers Photo printers Sony S-Frame DPP-F700

Sony digital S-Frame DPP-F700 offers built-in photo printer originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:29:18 +0100

Jessops has announced the launch of two new digital photo frames to add to its range in time for the Christmas shopping frenzy.

The own-brand photo frames come in 8-inch and 10.4-inch screen sizes with a black frame and have multi-card slots for SDHC, SD, MMC, CF, MS, XD as well as USB.

Both offer 2GB of internal memory, auto rotate functionality for portrait pics and a "magic window function" that displays multiple images at one go.

Offering a 4:3 display ratio, the frames will also playback video and MP3 music in slideshow mode, as well as boasting a clock with alarm and a calendar.

Complete with remote controls, the new frames are priced at ?99 and ?139 and are available now from stores or online.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames Jessops

Jessops offers two new digi photo-frames originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:28:01 +0100

After a brief summer break, Megawhat is back on Pocket-lint with a brand new Tech Week in View episode for your viewing pleasure.

Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles talks tourists on Segways and tells us why he thinks the new Sonos S5 is a tidy bit of kit.

Miles also considers the Amazon Kindle's UK launch (was it a bit of a rush job?) and looks at what the? T-Mobile Sidekick data loss might mean for the cloud computing industry.

Watch the video above now to see it all play out, and stay tuned for more comment from Pocket-lint soon.

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness events Comment Video

Tech week in view: Tourists on Segways, the Kindle in the UK and trouble in the cloud originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:42:19 +0100

We brought you news of the launch of Canon's new EOS 1D Mark IV digital SLR but can now offer a video overview of the new pro snapper's auto focus abilities.

As well as the advanced auto focus, ideal for fast-moving subjects, the new DSLR boasts dual "DIGIC 4" processors, 16-megapixels, ISO up to 102,400 and 1080p video capture.

Hit play now on the box above to see a run through of the revamped auto focus system, while there's also a look at image quality on the CanonClub's YouTube channel.

Tags: Cameras Canon DSLR cameras Video

VIDEO: Canon EOS 1D Mark IV's advanced auto focus originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:06:11 +0100

Joining Fujifilm’s current F200EXR and S200EXR models comes an attractive, largely metal build, pocket compact incorporating the same innovative "switchable" Super CCD EXR sensor and, for the first time in the series, marrying it to a 10x optical zoom (27-270mm equivalent in 35mm terms). It does this whilst maintaining a depth of a relatively slender-for-the-spec 22.7mm, and all for a price that, on initial inspection, suggests very good value.

Aimed, apparently, at "the gadget lover who likes to be in control", as we noted in our review of the DSLR-styled S200EXR, Fujifilm’s unique EXR sensor technology allows the user to utilise the F70EXR’s chip in three different ways. To kick off, photographers can shoot maximum resolution JPEGs – here 10 effective megapixels – or, secondly, capture images with increased dynamic range. The camera does this by taking two shots in quick succession – one at a high ISO (light sensitivity) setting, the other at a low ISO setting – combining them as a single five megapixel image.

The third user-selectable EXR option aims for high sensitivity but low noise; achieved by coupling together same colour pixels to achieve larger light gathering pixels. Again final resolution is 5 megapixels.

Can’t decide which setting best suits? Well, in addition there’s an auto EXR option that allows for point-and-shoot operation, the camera comparing the scene before it with six pre-programmed settings and deciding which EXR mode fits. Like rival intelligent auto modes, Fujifilm’s offering gets it right most of the time, allowing the user to concentrate on subject rather than settings if so desired. Anti-shake is offered in the form of CCD shift to cancel out any effects of hand wobble shooting in low light or maximum zoom.

With the camera powering up in 2 seconds, in the main, the F70EXR’s buttons and controls are of a decent size and similarly responsive, though we found the zoom lever a tad loose. Images are composed via an adequate 2.7-inch, 230k dot resolution LCD monitor at the rear, while EXR and regular auto shooting modes are selected via a dime-sized mode wheel set into the top right hand corner of the camera’s back plate, where it naturally falls under the thumb.

Other options include the more regular program AE and manual modes, plus video capture (disappointingly at a standard definition 640 x 480 pixels, whereas HD would have really helped this camera to shine), scene modes (including pro focus and pro low light modes alongside the regular pre-optimised beach, snow and firework settings), along with Fujifilm’s separate natural light and natural light with flash modes. Take a shot and the camera commits a full resolution image to memory – here a 47MB internal cache or removable SH/SDHC media – in less than 2 seconds.

Worth singling out for further attention are those pro focus and pro light options, as Fujifilm is claiming the F70EXR can deliver a "DSLR-like" performance in these modes. The first is, effectively, a focus bracketing mode that takes several images and combines them into a single shot to deliver a shallow depth of field effect, blurring distracting background detail and therefore making it best suited to portraits.

To get it to work properly you need both subject and camera to stay completely still, therefore use of a steady surface or tripod is a must. Ditto when selecting pro low light mode, which itself combines four frames taken at high ISO.

As on the S200EXR, helping the F70EXR to stand further apart from the pack – and make the most of its manufacturer’s analogue heritage – are additional eccentricities such a trio of film simulation modes located by pressing the quick-access "F" (for "Foto") at the rear, as are the essentials of image quality and ISO settings – here up to a whopping ISO 12800 equivalent on offer.

With an identical range of offerings to its sibling, F70EXR photographers can aim to match the look of shooting with the naturalistic Provia (the camera’s default setting), the warmer, flattering Velvia, or smoother, softer Astia film (Slightly wishy-washy for our tastes), plus more commonly found black and white or sepia colour effect options.

Use of the F70EXR will be intuitive for anyone who has previously handled a Fujifilm compact – there are many common family traits – whilst, for new converts, point and shoot operation will ease them in gently.

To our eyes, images straight out of the camera were naturally coloured if a little flat looking when left on default Provia setting. We welcomed the in-camera Velvia setting therefore for capturing the first colours of autumn. If, inevitably, the lower resolution shots look a little soft and almost painterly in comparison when downloaded and viewed on the desktop, a subtle application of Unsharp Mask in Photoshop can add the missing crispness.

Shooting at top ISO 12800 equivalent setting similarly delivers results more closely resembling a watercolour than photograph, but that said cheaper digital compacts deliver comparable results at a much lower ISO 1600. On this Fujifilm, users can shoot up to that ISO 1600 setting with surprisingly minimal amounts of noise. Plus you have all the additional features to tailor your images in camera we’ve already outlined.

Verdict:

More than most of its ilk, the F70EXR suggests itself as an ideal travel companion best suited to spur of the moment snaps. That said the broad focal range and EXR and film simulation modes do provide a wealth of creative possibilities, ably allowing the photographer to take in everything from landscapes to candid close ups. With the F70EXR suggesting excellent value even at its top UK recommended price of ?260, the ultimate winner here is the consumer.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras 10 megapixels Fujifilm Fujifilm FInePix F70EXR Fujifilm FInePix F70EXR

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Although we admit that Nikon was first to combine a camera and a projector, Taiwanese DigiLife appears to be the first company to add a projector to a pocket HD camcorder.

The DDV-JF1, as it's called, combines a Flip-style camcorder with a pocket projector in a package that is no bigger than most current pocket projectors on the market.

The camera part of the device shoots video at 1280x720 pixels at 30fps, although 848x480 at 60fps and 320x240 at 30fps are also available options.

The lens is fixed focus and the camcorder offers 3 x digital zoom. The video is recorded in H.264 to an SDHC card with cards up to 32GB are supported.

On the back of the camcorder is a 2.5-inch LCD display with 960x240 while below the screen are controls which seem to have at least borrowed some of its inspiration from the Kodak Z6 in terms of layout.

The projector isn't very bright at 8 lux and with a resolution of Q720p which isn't as good as it
sounds as in reality this is only 640x360 pixels.

We don't know how much the DDV-JF1 is going to cost, but we have a feeling that it won't be worth whatever the initial price will be...

Tags: Cameras Camcorders Pico projectors DigiLife

DigiLife sticks projector into pocket HD camcorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:44:53 +0100

Canon has announced the new EOS 1D Mark IV describing it as "a high-speed, professional digital SLR designed to empower photographers to capture split-second moments in high resolution, under the most challenging of conditions". ?

Angled as ideal for action, sports, news events and wildlife photography, the EOS 1D Mark IV gets a new Canon 16.1-megapixel APS-H CMOS sensor as well as a new, advanced 45-point auto focus system.

Dual "DIGIC 4" processors allow for shooting high-res pics at up to 10 frames per second and this is backed up with the widest ISO range ever to feature in a Canon camera with extended ISO ranges from a low of 50 to 102,400.

The new DSLR is robust and weatherproof with a full magnesium alloy body, can capture 1080p high definition video at 30, 25 and 24fps and 720p footage at 60 and 50fps. ?

There's a 3-inch Live View LCD display, revamped buttons and updated picture styles while the EOS 1D MARK IV is compatible with all existing EOS 1D Mark III accessories, EF lenses and EX Series Speedlite flash units. ?

The EOS 1D Mark IV is due to be available from the end of December 2009 priced at ?4499.00 or 5499.00 euros.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Canon DSLR cameras 16 megapixels

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:53:31 +0100

Almost falling into the NSFW category, Firebox is offering the USB "Snakescope" camera, a still slash video borescope for under ?30.

With a "robust", semi-flexible insertion tube, the camera head and cable are waterproof, so ideal for checking out your, er, plumbing. There's also a clip-on magnet that will help to retrive metal objects.

Complete with software that allows you to view, edit and save down recordings, the snakescope records in VGA quality and works with Windows-based PCs.

Related links:

• Shop - Firebox

Tags: Cameras Firebox Digital cameras USB gadgets Gadgets Camcorders

Firebox offers USB Snakescope camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:37 +0100

HANNspree is tacking the Christmas shopping market from a new angle - an all–in-one Photo Alarm Clock.

Described as "the perfect bedside gadget", as you'd expect it features alarm clock functionality with three alarms and snooze and sleep options, a photo viewer as well as an FM radio and digital music player.

The 4.3-inch colour LCD screen can be set to display seven different clock face styles, a calendar or photos with a slideshow option while USB connectivity means file transfer for photos, as well as MP3 or WAV music files is said to be easy.

The HANNspree Photo Alarm Clock is available now from www.misco.co.uk for ?44.99.

Tags: Gadgets HANNspree Alarm clocks Cameras Digital photo frames Misco Radios

HANNspree Photo Alarm Clock launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:16:21 +0100

It is probably safe to start this review by saying that the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj is the one with the projector. A bold move by Nikon, perhaps, launching a device that mashes together the trend for pico projectors with a regular 12-megapixel camera.

If you are really wondering how you combine a camera and a projector, then it is worth glancing at the iFixit teardown of the camera that lays out its innards. It's probably not as exciting as you'd expect, it simply adds the small projector into the mix.

This does of course mean that the camera carries a little weight, making it larger than other 12-megapixel compacts. So you do make something of a compromise for your pocket projector but it's not devastating. The measurements swell to 99.5 x 62.5 x 23mm, average dimensions for compacts a few years back, but well above the likes of a comparable modern camera. It will still slip happily into your jacket pocket and it isn't as though it is wasted space – there's a projector in your pocket after all.

Build quality is good and the S1000pj feels solid in the hand, free from creaks as you manipulate it. Controls are logically laid out, with most of the options sitting to the right of the 2.7-inch display on the back, where they fall neatly under your right thumb.

Across the top of the camera you get the usual shutter button surrounded by the controls for the 5x zoom. You also get a dedicated projector button and a slider so you can get the thing in focus depending on your distance from the surface you are projecting on to.

The extra bulk of the camera means the 5x optical zoom is housed internally, without the need to slide out the lens as is common on smaller models. Startup is reasonably swift and zooming is fast, if a little noisy. You get a 28-140mm (equiv) range from the lens and when out of use it sits behind a lens cover. No protection is offered to the projector lens, however, which sits in the centre of the camera under the flash.

Menus are easy to navigate using the four-way controller and ok button on the back. Although no manual control is offered, the Auto mode does offer you the likes of limiting the ISO range, or indeed picking the option you want, right up to the top ISO 6400, albeit accepting a drop to 3 megapixels at this setting, and the 3200.

Menus change based on whichever shooting mode you have currently selected and once you dive out of the regular Auto mode you find your options are limited, usually to the overall resolution and nothing else. Direct controls through buttons let you selection flash firing mode, self-timer, exposure compensation and macro mode (good from 3cm) however.

The usual scene selections are in here, as well as a Smart portrait mode which combines all the technical gubbins to try and eke out a good shot: face detection, skin softening, smile timer and blink detection. Why this isn't simply bundled into the Scene options too we don't know. You also get Subject tracking which is a neat focus lock, whether you use it to track a subject across the lens or to reposition a focal point to aid composition.

Video capture is supported at an average top setting of 640 x 480 (which holds a fairly solid 30fps). The results are good in daylight, but even in shadow or shade outdoors does pick up a lot of noise bands, with lower light video very noisy overall. The front mounted mic is relatively good though, giving good results, but exposed to wind noise and the like outdoors.

As a camera the S1000pj gives you results you'd expect from an experienced company like Nikon and it is good to see that image quality hasn't been compromised to deliver the novelty of the projector.

Colours are well represented, with nice punchy blues, giving great rich skies. Reds can be a little over-saturated at times, but not to a degree that detracts from the overall image and you do get colour presets in the menu if you want? something different. Exposure and metering is good, with clear on-screen symbols of when camera shake is likely to occur, when the included vibration reduction tries to help out.

Low light performance is reasonable, with the ISO 6400 taking on something of a mottled appearance. It won't stand 100% views or cropping, but if your plan is sharing online, then it works well enough. With the lens packing a max aperture of F/3.9, it isn't as versatile as some rivals in low light. However the best results come out of restraining the ISO range through the menu to stop Auto running wild, something we like a lot. High contrast scenes are handled relatively well with purple fringing kept under control and certainly no more of a problem than in other compacts out there.

We did notice some darkening in corners when using the camera at the widest angle with some barrel distortion too, but once you know it is there it can be used to artistic benefit – see the Cenotaph sample image.

Sitting at the left-hand end of the top plate is the projector button. Press it once and the projector fires up and you have your image beamed out the front. It is rated at 10 lumens, so best results come in a darkened room. Daylight with the lights off is certainly possible, but you really need to pull the curtains or close the blinds to get the greatest impact. Outdoors, in daylight, you won't get a visible image.

The throw is from 26cm (5-inch image) up to 2m (40-inch image) and the slider on the top will help you get it in focus across this range. Resolution of the projected image is 640 x 480 which is to be expected from a projector this small. It supports zoom however, so you can zoom in on parts of a photo to see more detail if you wish.

Options are limited, but you can set-up slideshows so you don't have to keep pressing the buttons and it even comes with music tracks. In the box you'll also find a small stand, giving the camera an angle to raise the projection off the end of a table. You also get a remote control, so you can show your images with ease, or use it for remote capture, a much preferred option over the usual self timer, with zoom controls too.

You can only project those photos and videos you have taken, you can't use it as a giant Live View option – you'd be looking at what you were projecting, so you'd be left with a feedback loop and little else anyway. It isn't designed for playing back media from other devices, but it did project other image files we had on our memory card.

Battery life is rated at 220 shots, although using the projector cuts this drastically and we found with mixed snapping and projecting we managed nearly 100 before we got a battery warning: some of this can be put down the excitement of having a projector to show off though.

Verdict:

So the camera delivers decent results and the projector works too. But the real question is what you are going to do with it. We guess that if you are interested in the camera you can already see the benefits of having projection in the same device.

If you spend your time taking shots and then instantly plugging into a computer to show them off again, then this saves that step for sure. We don't know who might do this, but the S1000pj makes it possible. But then we've all been in that situation when someone shows you a shot on the back of a camera. Give yourself a darkened room and you'll be able to entertain wedding guests or party goers with shots of the day. Kids love it too and there seems to be limitless entertainment in taking photos or video and projecting it onto the wall or ceiling.

Nikon have stuck to their principles and delivered a compact camera which performs as you would expect it to, so you don't lose out in opting for the S1000pj, except in pocket bulk.

If you've never been in the situation where you need to instantly share your images you'll get the same imaging quality in a smaller package for less money elsewhere. You do pay a little over the odds for the camera, but what price do you put on novelty?

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Nikon Pico projectors Nikon Coolpix S1000pj 12 megapixels

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:30:48 +0100

Vicon has announced that within the next few months it'll be launching its intriguing Vicon Revue digital camera. The idea behind the Revue is that it sits on a cord around your neck all day taking photos at predetermined intervals - as often as every thirty seconds.

It also has a few sensors built in that can take photos at specific times. An accelerometer, temperature and light sensor can detect when you're entering a new environment and snap a photo of that, or an infrared sensor can take a picture when it detects the body heat of a person in front of you.

It has a 1GB memory, but the images taken are in pretty low resolution so it can fit 30,000 of them into that space. The lens is fisheye, though, so you'll get to see a bit more of your surroundings than you otherwise might.

The Revue was originally developed as the SenseCam by Microsoft, with the idea of allowing Alzheimers and Dementia patients to more easily recall the events of their day. Studies showed that use of the SenseCam helped long-term recall, too.

?Vicon has licensed the technology from Microsoft, though, and is making it available to consumers. Vicon's MD, Imogen Moorhouse, says that Microsoft took the decision to license the tech because it couldn't keep up with demand for the devices.

Vicon will be selling the unit for ?500, and it'll initially be marketed to researchers. That'll go on sale before Christmas, and a consumer version should also show up in 2010. We'll bring you more news of that when we get it.

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Tags: Cameras Vicon Revue Twitter

Vicon Revue camera launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:16:08 +0100

Twenty years ago you couldn't help but marvel at the site of a stadium twinkling with thousands upon thousands of camera flashes and wonder just how much money Kodak was raking in. This year the last roll of 35mm Kodachrome colour film will leave the production line, bringing to an end a great part of history. At the dawn of the digital age, Kodak saw 35mm film sales plummet from $15 billion to $200 million in under 5 years. If you haven't heard much from the tech giant in the interim, aside the odd photoframe, it's because it went from a consumer facing family name to a 70% B2B specialist at almost the click of a shutter.

A few years on and Kodak is on the march once more with its familiar gold logo appearing on our shelves on increasingly desirable products. 97% of cinema films are still printed on Kodak - for the time being, at least - but now half of the company's 19 lines are digital, including consumer photo printers and more recently the Kodak Zi8 - arguably the top pocket camcorder on the market today. What's more, even though time may have been unkind to film, the number of photos we're taking has hit astronomical figures and, as far as Kodak is concerned, there's a huge part to play in that. It may have been a while since consumers saw the brand on a daily basis but Kodak still has one thing that you simply can't buy. Trust.

This year has seen Kodak reach out even further to the public with a series of blogs, a Facebook app and an iPhone app that connects consumers directly to the Kodak Gallery, a user site for uploading images where they're safer and higher in resolution than any other such service on the net. The latest step from the company in its embrace of the digital age has been to conduct a survey of the birth of the digital family called The Future of Reconnectivity. Entitled both with the public's concern over our increasingly virtual lifestyles and as part of Kodak's fact finding for future product strategy, the report sampled 2,500 consumers from France, UK, Germany, Italy and the US and asked them just how they use photos in social networking and what they hold dear in their digital lives.

By far the most telling stats were those associated with Facebook. It turns out that people with more Facebook photos have more friends. Now, that could be that they have more photos because they have more friends who take more pictures of them in the first place. They also discovered that people who smiled more in photos had more friends too. Perhaps we all like to know happier people? But probably the one that's harder to explain is that those who post more videos have more people in their networks. The report describes these users as part of a growing "digital aristocracy" and, for those who simply must be a part of it, you can help yourself out with photo editing software that will automatically remove frowns from pictures and turn them into smiles. In reaction, you'll also find groups on Facebook for people who like images of sad and angry faces. Good for an amusing browse.
?
In general, there were also patterns that emerged in what kinds of pictures were taken by different age groups. Those in their 20s predominantly took what the study referred to as "vertical photographs" - those in which the subjects were mainly on their feet. Probably something to do with youth and all that energy they have. By the 30s it was more what was described as "10 o'clock photos" where subjects were mostly sat down and largely more sedate. By our 40s, it's all about photos more for business and by 50s and 60s, it's all about family shots which seems to make sense.

The concern for Kodak more specifically is how to get the most out of our digital photo stock or how to bring out the "digital shoebox" as Kodak chief marketing officer Jeff Hayzlett puts it. On the virtual side of things, Kodak is looking at easier methods of sharing digital photos both across networks and anywhere in the home between photoframes that are yours and those perhaps at another family member's house hundreds of miles away. A large focus of the company's business now is, of course, home printing of shots but for those that wish to send their stills in the other direction, it's actually possible for to get metadata from scanned hard copy photographs. The paper on which Kodak prints were made contains all sorts of detail including when and where the printing was done. Very useful for mass digitisation and sorting.

There's clearly plenty of inroads for Kodak and enough faith from the general public in the name of the brand the world knows so well. The big question is whether or not the products and services can deliver as well as the competition. This time there's no relying on George Eastmen to invent the revolution. The technology is already there and Kodak has been behind the digital pack so far but with a combination of legacy and innovation anything is possible. What we can say for sure is that we'll be seeing more from the New York company in the consumer space to come but it's another thing altogether of how the B2B side of the business will cope as more and more cinemas go digital too.

Related links:

• News - WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Kodak Gallery
• Features - Five great rangefinder cameras

Tags: Cameras Camcorders Kodak Kodak Zi8 Printers Features Facebook Surveys

Is Kodak coming back? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:48:20 +0100

The Ricoh CX2 is basically the same as the CX1, it looks stylish and is undoubtedly well made; once again we had the black liveried version to test, though silver and a two-tone version with a coloured top plate are available. A simple control layout belies the underlying complexity; a small mode dial perched on the rear corner joins with a small on/off button and a combined zoom control and shutter button.

The lens zoom lever controls a very nice 28-300mm (35mm equivalent) lens that has a respectable F/3.5 to F/5.6 maximum aperture range that is only slightly reduced compared with the CX1’s F/3.3 to F/5.2 aperture range.

The lens is very sharp and helps gather and direct light on the same 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor as found in the CX1, but what is more remarkable is the fact that such a large lens can be folded away into the camera’s svelte 29.4mm wide body. Though slim, the camera’s handling is actually rather good, although the long focal lengths on offer mean reduced apertures, and so camera shake can become an issue, particularly in low light and at the longer end of the 300mm zoom.

The Smooth Imaging Engine IV returns and combines with the sensor to give high-speed image processing for an improved 5fps shooting an impressive frame rate as good as some entry level DSLRs. It can also shoot in an “enhanced” ultra high continuous shooting mode, that provides VGA sized images at up to 120fps. These images are combined into one final Multi-Picture Format image.

An M-Continuous Shooting Plus mode joins the high-speed snapping systems and provides a way to shoot images at 15fps or 30fps, the camera storing the 1 or 2-seconds worth of frames just prior to removing your finger from the shutter release.

In other words, keeping your finger on the shutter button until just after the key event has finished, you can be sure you’ve captured it on one or more of the preceding 15 (or 30) frames, each shot at 2MP necessary to achieve the high frame rate.

The screen stays active throughout – so you can pan along and compose with fast moving action – even though the refresh rate is reduced. Ricoh’s high-speed shooting system works very well, with the caveat on the image file size, but even an 2MP, astute use of image editing software should give reasonable sized prints if required.

One of the other features developed for the CX1 and found here also, is the rather tongue twisting Dynamic Range Double Shot Mode, thankfully, DR for short. DR is designed to boost the camera’s effective dynamic range – something often seen as the Achilles heel of digital cameras – to around 12EV, at least according to Ricoh. In essence, the system works by combining two images, or rather, the properly exposed portions of two images shot at different exposures, one biased to the highlights, the other shadows.

An obvious downside is immediately obvious if you try this hand held, or with moving subjects; the combined image is blurred and so DR is only really effective on static subjects that are shot using a tripod. However, when it works the effect is akin to an HDR image and helps get more shadow and highlight information from otherwise hard-to-expose scenes.

So, a tripod and careful use of DR can provide a powerful tool for hard to expose shots or where (perhaps) you might want to dig out more detail than would otherwise be achievable. Of course, the inclusion of a RAW shooting mode, something lacking here, might have helped too as you can claw back extra highlight and shadow detail when playing with RAW files on a PC. But, the extra processing “at home” this needs, may be a step too far for the potential, “snapper” oriented market?

The “strength” of the DR effect can be adjusted in four steps from “very weak” to “strong” but that necessitates a certain amount of trial and error to learn which strength is best for specific subjects; practice is important then here and on balance it’s better to shoot four (or rather eight!) images at each level and be safe than waste time fiddling, since you’ll need to “test” the effect for each subject you use it on.

However, the excellent screen makes this experimentation in-camera and when in the field achievable, since its 920,000-pixel resolution provides enough detail to see what’s going on. However, the cleverest bit about this is that Ricoh’s boffins developed an algorithm that compensates for overexposure within the green segments of the R, G, B, Bayer colour filter matrix (green allows more wavelengths of light through, than does the red and blue sectors of the matrix) used to reconstruct colour in the images. It re-calculates lost green values from surrounding blue and red sections of the Bayer filter helping get better and more natural colours.

Just like the CX1, there’s a dedicated processor for this, so it does not slow image capture or image processing and it is always active, can be used in the DR mode and on the two DR images (see above) to give a much more dramatic boost, if needed. Another big plus for those needing high quality images, is this system works without affecting the sensitivity, so does not have the problem of increasing image noise within images.

The CX2’s white balance control includes Multi-Pattern Auto White Balance. This is great for scenes where you have mixed lighting such as flash, sunlight and tungsten, for example. The camera can define the “correct” white balance for each section of the image and fit the white balance to the proper level for each zone within the image. This seems to be an accomplished system, as some of my abstract fibre-optic lamp shots, taken in low and mixed light, have been handled extremely well and with few noise artifacts.

Indeed, colour rendition and saturation are great, easily on a par with the CX1, as you’d expect, and yet lifelike, with a deep richness that is natural looking rather than overblown as some consumer oriented digital compacts tend to be.

The Multi-Pattern Auto White Balance is also great for fill-flash work shooting portraits, where you have mixed lighting – natural light with flash – say, and as you’d expect (and just like the CX1), you still have all the “normal” WB presets to choose between such as sunlight, cloudy and shadows. The set of manual WB setting, set via a single press of the display button, once this mode selected from the menus.

The next feature of note is the focus system. AF is very good, the multi-AF system works well and will pick a range of options within a complex scene to give a correct focus range encompassing the lot, or you can pick a single (central for example) focus point if preferred, ideal for macro or portrait work.

Alternatively, Multi-Target AF shoots seven, quick-fire images with a variety of focus points based on elements within the scene, and you can then choose the most appropriately focused image. Interestingly, Ricoh recommends this focus mode for macro work and given the excellent closest focus point of 1cm, it can help get the correct focus point if you don’t have the time to set up on a tripod, for example. A new mode is continuous AF, which makes shooting a sequence of a moving subject much easier to do – and keep the shots sharp.

Multi, centre-weighted and spot metering are very good; exposure control overall is excellent, particularly given exposure compensation can be quickly accessed via the ADJ(ust)/OK button on the back. This mini joystick, while a little fiddly to use, also provides fast access to WB, resolution, ISO and focus controls; adding to the camera’s armoury further is the auto exposure bracketing mode, and there’s flash exposure compensation too.

Other back plate controls include a “Fn” or function button that can be assigned up to 11 separate function, from Macro focus point selection to WB bracketing, or limiting the minimum aperture that can be used by the camera; useful if you need further control the amount of light reaching the sensor to help prevent camera shake or add an element of control for depth of field.

The excellent digital spirit level remains, via a small graph-style indicator on the screen to show whether the camera’s horizontal or vertical, an excellent handling bonus on a svelte camera such as this. And so there’s plenty of complexity crammed into the CX2, all reached via menus presented as two large lists.

Just like the CX1, the menus seem rather daunting at first. The more enthusiast user will not be put off, but given most users will simply point and shoot and (probably) won’t delve into menus unless something goes wrong, this is a menu layout that may make a few users tremble in trepidation, should they should dip in.

However, the detailed menus are easy to read, thanks largely to that stunning LCD with its high-resolution, 920,000-pixels. The screen is good to use for composition in most conditions, but only just in direct sunlight, when even with the low reflection coating, it’s often a challenge to compose (or check the correct focus point has be selected) for a shot.

The lack of an optical viewfinder means you have no fallback composition tool either, or should you need to conserve battery power; having said that, for power consumption, Ricoh claims a full charge will provide enough juice for around 290-shots. Actually that’s about average performance at this level in the market.

There are a couple of new shooting modes to join the array already present and carried over from the CX1. The Easy Shooting mode remains for those that want to leave the “thinking” to the camera. However, when shooting both the focus and exposure areas can be shifted within the scene to anywhere, making fine tuning of exposure and focus in portrait or macro work easy and eminently controllable.

One of the new scene modes is the very clever “Miniaturize” mode, which blurs an area at the top and bottom of the image to give the impressions you’ve shot a miniature scene. A little bit of creative fun then but how useful it is remains to be seen. The new High Contrast B&W mode seems more useful and, as you’ve probably guessed, it boost contrast and shoots a mono image akin to that from grainy black and white film.

And the CX2 now has its own “Manner”. No, not an area in East London, but a scene mode for snapping indoors, a mode more commonly called a “museum” mode on other makes of camera. Here, operational beeps and whizzes are muted; flash and the AF auxiliary light are also cancelled, so you can shoot with impunity inside a museum, for example.

In terms of image quality, the CX2 offers an extremely good performance; with the slightly over saturated colour from the CX1 tamed nicely here, out of the box. Sensitivity is usually the key to image quality, or rather noise at higher ISOs. For the CX2, things are as rosy below ISO 400 as was the CX1, at ISO 800 noise is obvious and at the top ISO 1600 setting, as expected, noise becomes intrusive.

Detail does not suffer the image processing working to preserve detail, even if that means more visible noise in the final shot, but the film-grain like quality at least allows you to make a more (arguably) creative decision on its inclusion, should the high ISO mode be your only option, given there’s still no optical image stabilisation on offer and the longer focal lengths make camera shake even more likely than with the CX1.

The slight smoothing of detail from the CX1 at low ISO is less prevalent so that’s an improvement, and so, overall the image quality, metering, focus and WB setup is excellent and better than the CX1. And yes, the image processing, used to pull detail out of the highlights works and actually does help get more subtle tones from within highlights and detail within shadows.

Verdict:

The CX2 is, well, just the like the CX1 – only more so. A relatively minor update might furrow some brows as to why the CX1 needed replacing so soon. The longer focal lengths are (arguably) more useful, but the flip side is problems with camera shake and low light. However, this is a highly specified, well-crafted camera with a host of very clever and new features that work.

The Ricoh CX2 is undoubtedly a machine for the more advanced user, but offers image quality to match for those that know what they’re doing and is easy enough to use. The all-auto and scene modes have useful tweaks but to get the most from the camera you’ll need to keep control to yourself and you’ll be amply rewarded with some stunning shots.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh CX2 9 megapixels Ricoh CX2

Ricoh CX2 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

With an ISO settings of over 100,000 you would expect the new Nikon D3S?to be able to capture shots in the dark, and that's what this video sets out to show.?

Shot by photographer Vincent Munier and titled Summer Variations, the footage was shot in Norway and Finland across 2 weeks and is pretty stunning, even if it's not 1080p.?

The new "S" update of the D3 pro model follows Nikon's trend of tweaking existing models.

Adding to the D3's already impressive spec sheet is a new FX CMOS sensor. Although it maintains the 12.1-megapixel resolution of the original D3, the sensor has been redesigned to add enhancements to the performance and a new Dust Reduction System.

Retailing for ?4199.99, the Nikon D3S is going to be available from December.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Nikon D3s 12 megapixels Video

VIDEO: Nikon D3S in action originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:06:20 +0100

Google might have its camera-van recording everything it sees as it drives around cities across the world, but it's got nothing on this van.

Covered in over 2700 cameras (yes you read that right), the van has been created to promote a new film called Automorphosis, a film about people that do car art.

The film is being shown at the Royal Flush Festival in New York on 17 and 18 October.

Other van's and cars in the film include a van covered with 15,000 dollar coins and brass objects, a homage to the Dutch painter Mondrian, and an interactive Mariachi inspired music car.

Related links:

• Link - automorphosis.com

Tags: Car And GPS Cars Google Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras

What the Google Street View car could have looked like originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:32:45 +0100

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are back letting you know what the best products of 2009 really are.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year from around the world.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available somewhere in the world between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Better still, because we don't have a print publication to worry about, we haven't had to call the decision early meaning the best gadgets of 2009 get a chance to win rather than those just announced in the first half of the year.

This year's categories are:?

• Best music gadget
• Best car gadget
• Best digital camera
• Best laptop
• Best software/service/app
• Best game
• Best gaming hardware
• Best home cinema device
• Best mobile phone
• Best gadget
• Product of the Year 2009

Nominations for the award categories are being taken now and the final list of nominations (five per category)?will be announced on Monday 16 November with the winners being announced at an awards party at the beginning of December.?

What do you think are the best gadgets of 2009? What should be included for nomination? Let us know in the comments below:

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:42:59 +0100

In the States, Pure Digital has launched a new "premium" version of its Flip MinoHD pocket camcorder that sees a few feature additions for an extra $30.

Priced at $229 and boasting 8GB of storage for 2 hours of 720p video, a larger 2-inch screen and an HDMI port, the premium model gets either an aluminium shell or a personalised design from Flip's website. ?

There's also a new version of the FlipShare software with an "automatic Magic Movie mode" that auto-trims and edits clips before uploads.

There's no news on a UK launch for the new higher-end model just yet, but the second generation of Pure Digital's Flip Ultra line only went on sale here in June.

Read

Tags: Cameras Flip Camcorders Pure Digital

"Premium" version of Flip MinoHD announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:36:29 +0100

Nikon has announced the "S" update of the D3 pro model, following its trend of tweaking existing models.

Adding to the D3's already impressive spec sheet is a new FX CMOS sensor. Although it maintains the 12.1-megapixel resolution of the original D3, the sensor has been redesigned to add enhancements to the performance and a new Dust Reduction System.

The most noticeable enhancement is the new Hi3 ISO setting, giving you an effective ISO of 102,400. The D3 was known for its noise suppression at high ISOs and Nikon claims that with the D3S, you'll be able to capture things "your own eyes can't see clearly".

You also get a new in-camera NEF RAW editing system with easy-to-use menus to tweak all the settings, such as white balance, exposure, etc, just as you would in post-processing on your PC. This will allow you to create the JPEG you want to send out instantly.

There has also been an increase to the buffer, so you can save up to 36 RAW files, or 124 large JPEGs in full resolution continuous shooting at 9fps.

And then of course you have D-Movie mode. Video capture is possible at 1280 x 720 at 24fps, so gets the HD sticker, but not the full-fat variety you'll find elsewhere.

You can take advantage of the high ISO settings for movies too, with the option of trimming clips to extract (selecting start and end points) and you can save movie frames as individual JPEGs (albeit not at full resolution). There is a mono mic on-board, with the option of adding an external mic.

Retailing for ?4199.99, the Nikon D3S is going to be available from December.

?

Related links:

• Photos - Nikon D3S

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Nikon D3s 12 megapixels

Nikon D3S brings video and ISO 102,400 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Nikon has announced the "S" upgrade to their popular D3 model, in what they are calling "the most significant S update" they've made.

The Nikon D3S features a redesigned 12.1-megapixel (effective) full frame FX CMOS sensor, with a new Dust Reduction System and a new Hi3 ISO option, which brings the effective ISO range up to 102,400.

Nikon are pitching the D3S as the best camera for low light work, frequently mentioning that the D3S will let you shoot things "your own eyes can't see clearly".

Of course you get that 720p movie mode, at 24fps too, although some might question why there is no Full HD option. Nikon addressed this question in their briefing, responding that the D3S is a professional stills camera and the video should be judged by its quality.

Movies are captured in AVI format, using Motion JPEG, which will only support file sizes of 2GB, which gives you 5 minutes of 720p video. It does have the option to trim start and finish points in-camera, as well as grab a JPEG straight from the movie, although it is only really good for web use or smaller prints (e.g. 6 x 4).?You do get full aperture control in movie modes as well as access to the full ISO range, opening up the possibilities for low light filming.?

Various other tweaks have been made, including some minor changes to buttons and the battery to make it easier for gloved hands, responding to customer feedback. You also get 100% viewfinder coverage in FX shooting mode.

There is a new NEF RAW image editing system built-in, which is designed to enable you to tweak an image and extract the JPEG you want, so you can send it straight out for publishing or print directly from the camera.

Yours for ?4199.99, it will be on sale from the beginning of December.

?

Related links:

• News - Nikon D3S brings video and ISO 102,400

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Nikon D3s 12 megapixels Photos

PHOTOS: Nikon D3S originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Apple has released an update to its iMovie video editing software package and with it support for yet another movie standard.

While the main focus of the update is to fix bugs, compatibility and stability issues as well as add support for the newly announced iPod nano, it also adds, "improved compatibility with camcorders using the iFrame video format".

According to Sanyo, who launched two American versions of its cameras that record in the iFrame (the Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1?and Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000)?format on Tuesday, the new format is designed specifically to allow users to easily import, edit and share high quality videos because it is the same format used to edit on a computer.

The result "dramatically speeds up the processes of importing, editing and sharing movies across multiple platforms and devices", says Sanyo.

iFrame shoots at 960 x 540 pixels compared to 1080P which is 1920 x 1080.

The update is recommended for all users of iMovie ’09.

?

Tags: Cameras Video editing software iMovie Sanyo Apple

iMovie adds iFrame support, yet another movie format originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:34:09 +0100

The British Journal of Photography has spilled the beans on Nikon's latest camera expected to be launched on Wednesday.

"Last week I travelled to St Andrews for the pre-launch of the Nikon D3s, a camera that can see what the eye cannot, by virtue of its extraordinary sensitivity to even the most low lit environments, boasting 'standard' ISO settings up to 12,800, a boost mode up to 102,400 - something that would have been unfathomable to film photographers 20 years ago", says the journal's editor Simon Bainbridge in a post that has gone presumably live ahead of schedule considering Nikon doesn't currently offer a D3S.

The rest of the article keeps details thin on the ground with Bainbridge instead preferring to talk about where digital photography it going rather than specifics on the actual camera itself.

Expect more details on the D3S?very shortly.

Read

Related links:

• Via - nikonrumours.com

Tags: Cameras Nikon DSLR cameras Digital cameras Nikon D3s 12 megapixels

Nikon D3S breaks cover originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:17:16 +0100

Summit Global, the licensee of the Polaroid brand, has officially announced the world re-launch of Polaroid, with both instant photography products and digital offerings due to be re-available.

The new Polaroid will manufacture a range of instant film products like the Polaroid 600 instant film, and also re-introduce a range of instant cameras including the "Polaroid One".

A great success for the Impossible Project, campaigners who worked hard to see instant film back to realistic prices, it's thought this move will bring Polaroid to a whole new audience, as well as appease retro-photography fans.

In addition to film-based efforts, Polaroid will also work on ZINK tech with ZINK Imaging, a team-up last seen in the Polaroid POGO instant digital printer.

Along those lines, there are also plans to market the digital Polaroid "Two"and plans have been revealed to produce a Polaroid "Three" - an instant digital camera that produces 4-inch by 3-inch instant digital photos.

Tags: Cameras Film cameras Polaroid Biz Printers Digital cameras Compact cameras Zink

Polaroid re-launch announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:18:03 +0100

We all know the iPhone camera isn't the best, we also know that chances are you take pictures that are good, but maybe need a little help on the improving side. Yep, there is an app for that. But has the imaging software company cracked it, or is this one Adobe app you shouldn't bother to download??

Available for the iPhone, the app is currently free, however isn't available in other countries like the UK. You can however get it on Windows Phone handsets.

Fire it up and you are presented with three main options: edit a photo, view your online Photoshop.com gallery and upload your images to the service.

Opt for the editing process and you can either select a photo from your camera roll or take a fresh photo to then edit.?Once you've got your photo loaded you can then start manipulating it. There are a plethora of options from cropping (1:1, 3:4, 4:3 ratios or custom) to rotating your image to flipping horizontally or vertically.

But it's not just about cropping out the random dude in your photo, Exposure, Saturation, Tint and Black & White are also available to you. All the editing features are controlled via your finger simply by moving it from one side of the screen to the other. The editing process is incredibly easy and luckily Adobe has thought to add a numbering or colouring system to each editing filter so you can achieve the same settings each time on different pictures. You can't punch that in as a number, but at least you can replicate it.

All that's good, but where would a photo editor be without the ability to create crazy image effects? Here you get a range of them. Two - Sketch and Soft Focus - will actually change the image drastically, with the Sketch option making it look like a drawing. The other photo effects are based on colour washes, most of which are fun rather than useful. We can't really see you wanting to "Rainbow" or "Pop" many pictures (see images for example), however used on the right photo and Black & White, Warm Vintage, and Vignette Blur could be very handy.

Once you've created and edited your work of art you can then save it to your Camera Roll as a new image or chose to upload it to Photoshop.com, Adobe's picture service.?As you would expect the app gives you access to that space so you can view images stored on the service and you get 2GB free with the option to add more storage at a price.

Uploading is simple but limited as you can only upload your image to the Photoshop.com service. There is no social networking functionality, no Flickr support, no Facebook support, no nothing. It's a shame because if you want to do upload anywhere else you have to come out of that app and then start up another app (i.e., Facebook) to get the job done. It's no biggie, but it would have been nice to have been able to do it from the one application.

With live access to your Photoshop.com galleries you can then bore the world with your favourite images from the palm of your hand and you can play albums and images as a slideshow, but you can't play it back to music or anything.

On the PC or Mac you can access the site via a standard browser.

Verdict:

The Photoshop Mobile for iPhone app is impressive when it comes to editing your images, especially as it is free.

The big catch is that it is isolated to the one service, something that makes this more of an advert for Photoshop.com rather than an all powerful imaging app that will make you dump all the others you've downloaded on your phone.

If that doesn't bother you and you just want a basic image editor with some fun features then you might as well give it a spin, after all it's not going to cost you anything.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Adobe Apple iPhone iPhone apps Photoshop Mobile for iPhone Cameras Photoshop Mobile for iPhone

Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:30:46 +0100

Jessops has announced it's bagged the exclusive on the Fuji Finepix F72EXR compact digi-cam. The Fuji F72EXR is a 10-megapixel, 10x optical zoom compact with Fuji's EXR tech.

The EXR technology claims to use the sensor in three different ways to optimise resolution, dynamic range or low-light performance and has previously featured in higher end models.

With a black metal body the Fuji F72EXR gets a 2.7-inch display, a "super intelligent" flash, face detection, red eye removal and takes SD cards.

The Fuji Finepix F72EXR is priced at ?279 and is available now at Jessops stores or online.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Fujifilm Fuji Finepix F72EXR Jessops

Jessops captures exclusive on Fuji Finepix F72EXR originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:28:13 +0100

Olympus are offering an interesting deal on two digital SLRs at the moment in the form of the Olympus E-30 and the Olympus E-620.

Both cameras are pretty high-end, the E-620 retailing at around ?500 and E-30 ?600, but if you're in the market you can now get bonus equipment for free.

Coming with the E-620 is a li-ion rechargeable battery (BLS-1) worth around ?60 which will go nicely with its now standard power grip, and with the E-30 you'll get a choice of a free power grip worth around ?200 or alternatively a FL-36R wireless flash normally ?289.

For those who have adopted the E-system already, Olympus are also offering cashback on selected lenses, in order to claim these offers, simply buy a featured product and register online before the end of January.

A link to the Olympus website is below, as well as links to reviews of both the cameras.

Related links:

• Reviewed - Olympus E-30
• Reviewed - Olympus E-620
• Link - Olympus

Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Olympus E-620 Olympus E-30 Olympus Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Free kit with Olympus E-30 and E-620 cameras originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Eye-Fi's wireless memory cards will soon be available in the UK, it's been officially announced.

Due to hit shop shelves on 19 October, Eye-Fi cards allow users to wirelessly upload photos and videos to their computer and the Web when in range of a Wi-Fi network.

Three 4GB Eye-Fi cards will be available in the UK - the Eye-Fi Home Video, the Eye-Fi Share Video and the Eye-Fi Pro.

The Eye-Fi cards can be used in most cameras and devices that take the SD card format. In the States, where the cards debuted in 2007, the range is larger and includes a geo-tagging option.

Priced from ?49.99 to ?119.00 the cards will go on sale at Amazon, Apple, Computer Warehouse and Dabs.

Tags: Cameras Memory cards Eye-Fi Wireless Camera accessories

Eye-Fi wireless memory cards to launch in the UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:43:21 +0100

With the trend of late for ever-larger zoom lenses crammed within ever more miniscule camera bodies, Fujifilm’s new S200EXR – which offers a 14.3x optical variety – comes as a something of a shock.

Upgrading the S100fs?and ape-ing a digital SLR "proper" in design and control layout – not to mention price – this 12-megapixel bridge model is unapologetically chunky and substantial at an 820g body-only weight.

Hefting this latest super zoom out of the box and holding it firmly in both hands, construction feels rock solid too; the digits of the right comfortably wrapping around the large grip, while the left encircles the prominent zoom barrel with manual focus ring. To zoom in or out you simply twist said barrel, which feels much more satisfying than merely pressing a button with thumb or forefinger.

Though a broad focal range equivalent to 30.5-436mm in 35mm film terms proves ideal for both candid portraits and amateur wildlife photography, plus its Tonka toy-like physical dimensions are what make the biggest initial impression, again with this camera it’s what’s on the inside that counts – as much if not more.

For this is Fujifilm’s third camera (after the pocket-sized F200 and F70) and its first bridge model to feature the company’s innovative Super CCD EXR sensor technology that allows the user to utilise said chip in three different ways. EXR option one is to simply shoot regular 12-megapixel maximum resolution images (as JPEG or RAW files), while the second is to capture images with increased dynamic range. The camera does this by taking two shots in quick succession – one at a high ISO (light sensitivity) setting, the other at a low ISO setting – combining them as a single image.

The third user-selectable EXR option aims for high sensitivity but low noise; achieved by coupling together same colour pixels to achieve larger light gathering pixels.

Additionally there’s an auto EXR setting found on the top plate mode dial that allows for point and shoot operation, the camera itself choosing which of the trio of options best suits subject and conditions. Other shooting modes include the more regular program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual modes.

Though this all sounds like fun, at times the differences between shots taken in the various EXR modes are very subtle – particularly in daylight conditions – leading us to conclude that, for general-purpose usage, one shouldn’t be swayed to buy this camera for its "EXR" properties alone.

Fortunately, helping the S200EXR to stand further apart from the pack – and make the most of its manufacturer’s analogue heritage – are additional curiosities such a trio of film simulation modes.

Photographers can aim to match the look of shooting with the naturalistic Provia (the camera’s default setting), the warmer, flattering Velvia, or Astia film, plus more run-of-the-mill black and white or sepia. These options are accessed via the easy to read and intuitive to navigate menu screens, a dedicated button for the selection of which is located at the centre of the four-way control pad on the camera back.

With the camera powering up ready for the first shot in just under 2 seconds, pictures are composed via fixed 2.7-inch LCD or electronic viewfinder (EVF) directly above the larger screen (and in place of the optical alternative). It would have been good to see a higher resolution screen and a tilting one at that for maximum visibility, but what’s provided is adequate.

The camera is commendably fast to determine focus and exposure if left on auto setting, though when shooting handheld at maximum telephoto, even with image stabilisation on board, we found we sometimes needed to take two or three shots to get one that was nicely crisp. Purple fringing can also be a problem when shooting subjects framed against bright skies, though that’ true of most of Fujifilm’s competitors.

Whilst both pop-up flash and hotshoe for supplementary alternative are offered, so is up to ISO 12,800 light sensitivity for those who want to switch off any artificial illumination and go for the natural look.

In practice however noise intrudes noticeably from ISO 800 upwards when left on the camera’s default settings, detail softening at ISO 1600 which is a little disappointing, as is the fact that the S200EXR’s video resolution is a mere standard definition 640 x 480 pixels rather than the latest high-def 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720.

More positively the full extent of the zoom can be utilised when recording, focus automatically adjusting – and quickly – as the user moves through the range.

Verdict:

So does the Fujifilm S200EXR offer pretty much all that a DSLR does, whilst saving the need to swap lenses or invest in additional optics? No, but it gets a fair degree of the way there, the combination of Super CCD EXR sensor and bolted-on Fujinon branded lens delivering an impressive degree of sharpness under most conditions.

That said, as we usually find with Fujifilm cameras with the camera left on its default settings, colours can look a tad wishy-washy, particularly on overcast days. Therefore we welcomed the added punch provided by selecting the Velvia film mode, which for us often delivered results closer to those seen by the eye.

So, while results straight out of the camera at times benefit from further tweaks in the image-editing package of your choice, the Fujifilm’s intended audience of photo enthusiasts who’ll want to get hands-on shouldn’t be dissuaded from purchase – even if the suggested retail price still smarts.

Tags: Cameras Prosumer cameras 12 megapixels Fujifilm Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR

Fujifilm FinePix S200EXR digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Wondered what the insides of a digital camera with a projector built in looked like? Thought you did, and so did the chaps over at iFixit who this time have taken apart a Nikon S1000pj for all to see.

What have we learnt from the experience? Not much is seems, apart from Nikon not wanting you to try this at home with the camera hard to take apart. Oh and the light for projecting images is supplied by a very powerful LED that even has its own heat sink to conduct heat to the aluminium front panel.

See, now you don't have to try this at home to find out.

Follow the Read link to see more images and take apart notes.

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Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras 12 megapixels Projectors Nikon Coolpix S1000pj Nikon

Nikon S1000pj gets torn apart originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:32:09 +0100

The pioneers of fibre optics and the CCD sensor have jointly won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics. Charles K Kao, Willard S Boyle and George E Smith all shared the award, with Kao being awarded half the prize, and Boyle and Smith getting a quarter each.

Charles K Kao was awarded his half "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication". He calculated in 1966 how it'd be possible to transmit light more than 100km in cables by removing impurities in glass. At the time, fibre-optic cables could only manage about 20 metres.

Willard S Boyle and George E Smith received their quarter-awards "for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor". The two created the "charge-coupled device" sensor while working at Bell Labs in 1969. It used Einstein's photoelectric effect to transform light into electronic signals - the team had to work out how to turn those signals into pixels in a rapid period of time. Today, CCDs are used in digital cameras, astronomy, and medicine, as well as other fields.

The prize total is 10 million Swedish Kronor, and so each prizewinner will get a share of that sum. Nobel Prizes are awarded for Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Economics and Literature and are awarded every year "to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind".

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Tags: Cameras Nobel Prize Digital cameras

Digicam pioneers get 2009 Nobel Prize for Physics originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:25:46 +0100

First off, as far as the winner for last month goes, we'd like to offer our congratulations to Tony Hedges for his comment on the HTC Hero review and all his input during its release. We'll be sending him a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe.

For the month of October Pocket-lint has teamed up with Omio to bring you the chance of winning a Nokia 5530 XpressMusic.

The phone features a 2.9-inch touch interface and a homescreen that offers one touch shortcuts to the likes of Facebook and MySpace, and as with similar Nokia phones, the 5530 gets the scrolling "Contacts Bar" for direct access to 20 people and their latest conversations and updates.

Being an XpressMusic model playback is all important and it doesn't disappoint with up to 27 hours of playback time, as well as a 3.2-megapixel camera along with Wi-Fi rounding off the package.

If you're weren't sure of what Omio is all about, here's a quick run down in their own words:

?Omio.com is a mobile phone comparison site that uses an innovative interface to help users navigate the vast array of mobile phone deals and phones from all the major mobile manufacturers".

"Users can filter over half a million deals by anything from price to colours, ensuring they get the right deal at the right price. Whether you're looking for a new phone or simply want to research what's available, Omio.com offers the most up-to-date information".

The rules of the competition are simple, you can enter as many times as you like by simply commenting on any story. It doesn't have to be in depth, detailed or technical, but it does have to be useful, helpful or funny.

You don't have to sign up to comment on the stories, we just ask for your name, location and email address - that does not show up online and is not passed on.

So get commenting and the winner will be chosen at the end of October.

Related links:

• Video - Nokia 5530 XpressMusic

Tags: Audio Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness TomTom GPS Competitions Nokia 5530 XpressMusic

Win a Nokia 5530 XpressMusic originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:30:10 +0100

General Imaging has added two new models to its current range of compact digital cameras in the form of the waterproof G3WP and the budget 10-megapixel J1050.

The G3WP is a 12-megapixel compact with a 4x optical zoom boasting features such as face, blink and smile detection, as well as auto scene detection and "Pan Capture" for panoramic shots.

General Imaging says the underwater modes deliver "sharp, true-to-life colour stills and movie images". Waterproof to a depth of 3 metres, it offers a 2.7-inch LCD screen and a wrist strap.

Available in ocean blue, graphite grey and raspberry red, the GW3P will be available from mid-October for approximately ?140.

The J1050 has a 5x optical zoom, the same auto modes, a 2.7-inch display and image stabilisation. It will be available "soon" in red, pink, silver and black for around ?90.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras General Imaging Digital cameras Waterproof 12 megapixels 10 megapixels

General Imaging launches waterproof G3WP compact digi-cam originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:49:26 +0100

Panasonic has dropped us word of a camcorder that it'll soon be launching - the HDC-TM350. It's strictly limited edition - only 200 will be available - and it's a sister model to the HDC-TM300, which has won multiple awards.

It's rather on the advanced side - with three seperate colour sensors to process red, green and blue, and 1.6 lux low light recording. It does full HD, and can record still images at 10.6 megapixels, and can do both video recording and still image recording at the same time too - though those are limited to 8.3 megapixels.

There's an intelligent auto optical image stabiliser, and AF/AE tracking which will keep focus and exposure locked onto a subject even if they stray to the edges of the picture. It comes with 64GB of built-in flash memory, along with an SD card slot for pumping that up further.

The HDC-TM300 will be available from mid-October, and will cost approximately ?1200. But don't delay - there's only 200 available.

Related links:

• News - Panasonic launches Lumix FP8

Tags: Cameras Panasonic Digital cameras Compact cameras Camcorders 10 megapixels Panasonic HDC-TM350 Camcorder

Panasonic reveals HDC-TM350 camcorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:33:24 +0100

The most striking feature about the Canon PowerShot D10 might well be the range of funky colour choices you get, from blue through to camouflage. Pitched directly to action fans, the D10 is battling it out alongside the likes of Olympus' Tough cameras.

In that vein, one of the defining features of the D10 is it's environmental sealing. Yes, the D10 name is matched by waterproofing down to depths of 10 metres and the promise of operating in minus 10 degrees too. It also features shock resistance, so will take the odd bash.

We are quite taken with the looks; with action heroes in mind, the butch styling is something to admire, but it won't be the most pocketable camera around. Essentially, given the 12-megapixel sensor backed by the DIGIC 4 processor and the 3x optical zoom (35-105mm equiv.) it is a similar offering to some of the recent IXUS models from Canon.

With the styling giving a little more scope for external features, you'll find a neat twist lock attachment points on each corner. It looks good, but does limit you to buying the official accessories, rather than just using a normal anchor point.

The biggest bulk, however, is in the housing that covers the lens, giving the D10 a distinct bulge to the front, but allowing all the lens zooming to take place in a sealed environment. Fewer moving parts on the outside means less to go wrong when it gets covered in mud or sand.

Minimalist isn't the word, with a rich collection of buttons and controls arranged around the body. The top gives you a power button adjacent to the shutter button - perhaps not the best placing, but it does mean you can power on and shoot with one hand. The zoom buttons which often sit in the top move down to the back, which makes them easy to see, but they are too small to use with gloved hands.

Further controls lie both to the top of the 2.5-inch 230k-dot display and to the right-hand side. The top row gives you - perhaps rather randomly - the print controls, playback and the shooting mode selection. Selecting shooting mode needs the use of the four-way controller and the Func/Set button, which generally makes it a two-handed operation.

However, the Auto mode is pretty smart and will identify the scene it is looking at and pick out the best settings for you. It works pretty well too, as we've found in other Canon models using the same technology. The menus, however, are typical Canon fare, and easy to navigate and pick out the settings you want using the Func button and menus.

There's no sign of manual controls, so you'll have to make do with the Program mode, which gives you control over ISO, white balance, metering and colour tints, but that's about it. For those wishing to use it underwater, there is a dedicated Underwater "scene" mode. This camera doesn't float, so make sure you use a strap of some sort.

The ISO range runs from 80 up to 1600 in Auto modes or via selection in P mode. An ISO 3200 mode is also selectable for those must-have low light shots, although it only shoots at 2-megapixels. Noise races into shadows at ISO 800 but shots remain usable, while at ISO 1600 noise blights most aspects of the image. The ISO 3200 mode still suffers high noise, but perhaps makes the better choice for candid indoor shots for sharing online, if you want to avoid the flash.

Aiding the low light performance is image stabilisation, which takes some of the shake out of longer exposures or the far end of the zoom and a fairly typical F/2.8 max aperture on the lens. Combined, they provide good scope for capturing indoor shots (in daylight) without having to deploy the higher ISOs.

The 2.5-inch display is wonderfully bright and gives colours real punch, making the D10 a great camera for shooting and showing to friends. The screen is a little small by current standards, shrunk to fit in with the design. There is no optical viewfinder.

Video capture comes in at a rather miserly 640 x 480 max, but does give you a nice solid 30fps with good, rich, colours. Audio is not so good, with noticeable noise from hand movements and also struggling to cope with wind noise.

Overall performance for still shooting is very good, with nice bold colours leaping out. Beautifully rich greens are perhaps offset by a tendency to over-saturate reds, but these things are easily adjusted post-shoot and it doesn't mar the images overall.

High-contrast scenes are handled rather well, with a small amount of purple fringing around edges and the occasional blow-out of light tones in bright conditions, but it copes as well, if not better than many other compacts out there. Barrel distortion is easily noticeable at the wide end of the zoom.

The flash is unusually placed over the top of the chunky lens housing and does seem to be a little under-powered. It's location, however, does mean that you can have a nice solid right-hand grip on the camera without the risk of obscuring it with a wayward finger.

Startup is relatively fast, flashing on in about a second and giving you your first shot about 2 seconds later. Continuous shooting gives you about 1 shot per second, not the fastest, but it will happily chew through plenty of shots without buffering being a problem. Shutter lag is not a noticeable problem either.

The battery gives you a recorded 220 shots, which we found to be about right.

Verdict:
As Canon's first foray into the world of pocket bomb-proof cameras, it's a compelling offering. It is a little more bloated than Olympus rivals, but it does give you something to grip onto when using it in more remote locations, such as diving or climbing, where it sits nicely in the hand when you want to grab it and shoot.

The price, although at the upper end of compact cameras, is reasonable considering the versatility of the D10. The performance is very much in line with models from the top of the IXUS range, which is a good thing: imaging hasn't suffered to give you the weatherproofing.

Those hitting the slopes might want something more compact, but for those who want something easy to grip and happy in all weathers, the Canon PowerShot D10 is well worth a look.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Canon 12 megapixels Canon PowerShot D10 Sports Fitness Canon PowerShot D10

Canon PowerShot D10 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0100

As many of you will know, Polaroid is a dying format, and getting hold of new cameras and film especially is a tricky business.

Urban Outfitters is currently offering a Polaroid Limited Edition camera - complete with a 10 pack of type 779 instant film.

It's not cheap at ?160.00, but by buying the instant snapper, you'll be buying into The Impossible Project to save the format, that the retailer backs.

The plastic Polaroid camera measures 12cm x 9cm x 16cm, has a focus free lens and boasts auto flash. The site is also selling the 10 pack of film separately, priced at ?22.

"Be quick", urges Urban Outfitters, "this item is a limited edition and we doubt it'll be sticking around for long"...

Related links:

• Shop - Urban Outfitters
• Link - The Impossible Project

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Film cameras Polaroid Urban Outfitters

Limited Edition Polaroid instant camera available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:29 +0100

Cameras offering broad focal ranges but pocket-sized dimensions are an expanding market. So it is no surprise Casio is joining the likes of Panasonic, Kodak, Samsung, Sony et al with its own offering in the 10x optical zoom Exilim EX-H10.

Like its competitors, the compact twins this reach with a 12.1-megapixel effective resolution. It manages this with a slender-ish depth of just 24.3mm, optics safely hidden within the body when not in use.

Starting wider than most snapshots at 24mm, the 35mm equivalent lens range extends all the way up to 240mm, leading its manufacturer to herald the camera as its first super zoom, or "Hi zoom". This makes the EX-H10 as adept at shooting landscapes as it is portraits; and indeed optimised settings for those very subjects can be accessed via a pair of dedicated buttons on the left-hand side of the compact's top plate, the second of which threatens to apply digital "make up" to your people pictures.

Grip the palm-sized Casio and the metal and plastic build feels reassuringly solid. It gives the user the impression the point-and-shoot can withstand the odd bump and knock - at least when the lens is not standing proud of the body as it is in its "active" state. It's quick to power up in just under 2 seconds, and the transition from extreme wide angle to maximum telephoto setting can be achieved just as rapidly.

When shooting at maximum telephoto, or in low light, mechanical CCD shift image stabilisation is provided to help prevent external camera shake resulting in blurred photographs. Coupled with this we have light sensitivity settings stretching from ISO 64 to ISO 3200 equivalent. In practice we found it tricky to get a shot completely free from tell-tale softness when shooting at the extremities of the zoom, but results are still usable and you may end up with shots you wouldn't otherwise have taken - always a bonus.

As with previous generations of Casio Exilim, the EX-H10 comes positively festooned with "Best Shot" modes - some 38 pre-optimised user selectable scene modes instantly accessed via a press of the dedicated "BS" button at the rear.

Images are composed and reviewed via a 3-inch, 230,400 dot resolution LCD screen - in the absence of any optical viewfinder - that swallows up most of the back-plate and is user adjustable according to prevalent brightness levels to aid visibility. Attendant buttons and controls are nice and large, so there's nothing about this camera that is awkward or fiddly - externally at least.

Bizarrely, the Casio's quick reference manual is one of trickiest to follow we've ever seen, "thanks" to it jumbling up instructions in three different languages on the same page.

More positively, the EX-H10's other main talking points are a rechargeable lithium-ion battery good for 1000 shots (as verified by CIPA) - unheard of for a compact in its class, and making it a viable holiday companion - plus, rather more par for the course these days, a video mode that can record AVI format motion JPEG high-definition clips at 1280 x 720 pixels, 24 frames per second (fps).

This movie feature is instantly accessed via a red record button like you'd find on a camcorder. This control is handily situated top right of the camera back where it readily falls under your thumb and therefore makes for a nice, user friendly touch. There's no HDMI output though, just the bog standard AV out port hidden behind a protective flap on the camera's right side (if viewed from the rear).

A pity, as since the EX-H10's images may well be viewed on an high-def TV these days, users can switch between capturing in 3:2, the standard 4:3 or 16:9 widescreen picture formats. Unfortunately the optical zoom is "frozen" when filming, which is slightly disappointing given the broad focal range.

Casio has also been pioneering quick captures of late and here the fastest continuous capture for stills is an impressive sounding 10fps for up to 20 sequential shots, though the trade off is that image resolution drops to a mere 1.2-megapixels to achieve this. For those interested in close up photography, macro shooting is down to a so-so 7cm from your subject.

A card slot is provided alongside the battery compartment under a sliding catch at the base - which means it can be reached if you're using the camera with a tripod without unscrewing it first - with a choice of SD or higher capacity (but physically identical) SDHC card media. Additionally there is a 35.7MB internal flash memory to fall back on out of the box.

Verdict:
Shots from the Casio are reasonably sharp and colourful for what is, at its heart, an entry-level snapper, and offer healthily warm flesh tones - which means that white skin is occasionally rendered closer to Tango orange. Also, images more noticeably have a digital look and feel straight out of the camera than certain competitors - occasionally looking like video "grabs".

Such nit-picking aside, there's no denying the usefulness of a pocket-sized camera which such a relatively big zoom, even if image quality is average for its class. Pricing feels about right, being neither cheap nor inexpensive compared with comparable devices.

So, while for pictures and value, Panasonic and Kodak presently offer better alternatives in the TZ series and Z950 respectively, overall the EX-H10 represents a fair deal for those wanting the creative options presented by a larger zoom but not the weight and bulk that normally goes hand in hand.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Casio Casio Exilim EX-H10 12 megapixels Casio Exilim EX-H10

Casio Exilim EX-H10 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Air2Air today launched the DraganFlyer X6 helicopter in the UK. This awesome little radio controlled helicopter has three pairs of rotors and is heaped with sensors to assist stable flight.

Constructed from luscious amounts of carbonfibre, it has three quiet motors driving those paired rotors and the on-board sensors include a barometer, which will let you hover the helicopter based on barometric pressure.

There is also a GPS onboard that will feed-back a trace of the location to the base station and let you always know where the Draganflyer is and where it has been.

But this isn't just a funky helicopter, it is really designed to be mounted with a payload, and you can choose from an HD video camera, 10-megapixel stills camera, low light camera or a thermal imager.

Control is via a hardcore radio controller and you can have a master and slave unit, letting you control flight with one and the camera with another, although you could do it all from one.

We especially like the base station and the fact that you can have a wireless transmitter accessory to hook-up for a live video feed. It's the stuff that geek dreams are made of.

The basic kit, comprising of the X6 airframe, the camera (Panasonic Lumix LX3), handheld controller, wireless base station and software will cost you ?21,585. Gulp.

Ok, so it isn't designed to be a toy, with useful commercial applications like inspecting difficult to reach locations, birds-eye view shots or traffic monitoring, it even has some Police service time under its belt.

The battery gives you around 20 minutes of flight time (without a payload), it will max out at 30mph and climb to a maximum altitude of 8,000ft.

Now 007, you will be careful, won't you?

Related links:

• Link - Air2Air

Tags: Gadgets Helicopters Dad Cameras Panasonic Panasonic Lumix LX3 Air2Air DraganFlyer X6 Photos

DraganFlyer X6 helicopter lands in the UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:18:40 +0100

Not particularly ground-breaking news, unless you have a penchant for white gadgetry, but Olympus has announced the launch of the new FE-4010 in "snow white".

Released for the Christmas present-buying crowds, the new entry-level snapper gets a "Double-Layered Crystal Shell finish".

We've not a lot as far as specs go - 4x wide optical zoom and Magic Filters is about all we can tell you.

The FE-4010 in "snow white" will be hitting shop shelves near you in time for the festive period for ?149.99.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Compact cameras Olympus FE-4010

Snow white Olympus FE-4010 announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:27:43 +0100

Google's Picasa has been given an update - to version 3.5. The photo manipulation software has been fluffed up with facial recognition and Google Maps functionality, as well as a whole host of bug fixes.

The facial recognition is called "Name Tags" and has been available in the Web version of Picasa - "Picasa Web Albums" - for some time. It scans your photos and attempts to identify individuals through their facial features. It then gives you a list of clusters of photos featuring "unnamed people" that you can tag. You can also sync that with your Google contacts.

Picasa 3.5 also now has built-in Google Maps integration that lets you manually geotag pictures. In previous versions you had to use Google Earth to do that. Lastly, the option is now available to upload new photos automatically to Picasa Web Albums without having to select them first.

The download is free, and it's available now.

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• News - Picasa photos added to Street View
• Link - Picasa

Tags: Software Picasa Google Cameras Software updates

Picasa gets updated to 3.5 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:14:09 +0100

We first saw Fujifilm's 3D concept camera at Photokina 2008 and struggled to take it seriously. There are so many questions and seemingly so few answers. Now the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 has come to fruition. But can we now take the first 3D production camera seriously, or is it still just a little too niche?

Out of the box it is a big beast. Measuring 123.6 x 68 x 25.6mm and weighing 260g, it’s a far cry from the majority of compact models out there. This isn't just Fujifilm being lazy: it features two 10-megapixel CCD sensors, and two lenses, both of which feature 3x optical zoom (35-105mm equiv), which necessitates some extra bulk. It also gives you a base line length of 77mm to create that stereoscopic effect.

It could perhaps be smaller but as a first generation device it can be forgiven. Certainly you'll be able to slip it into a coat pocket (if not your jeans pocket) and it is smaller than your average homemade dual-camera rig.

The exterior is finished in glossy black plastic and given that the front features a slider to reveal the lenses and power the W1 on, it will permanently be covered in fingerprints. We'd prefer a matte finish, but this doesn't detract from usability per se.

Working around the body, you'll find the shutter and zoom controls on the top as standard, accompanied by an Infrared port. The right-hand side features a flip-open hatch (of reassuring quality) which reveals the DC input for charging and the AV connector. A bottom hatch opens to reveal the bay for the battery (good for about 200 shots, as you'll do plenty of previewing) and SD/SDHC card.

The back of the W1 sees a 2.8-inch 260k-dot display, giving you a 100% field of view. It is in a 4:3 aspect, as are the images produced by default, although there is a 3:2 option and images may also change width as you alter parallax in 3D shooting modes.

Flanking the screen are the main controls. These are ranged across six rocker switches and are perhaps the greatest oddity of all. A course finish is applied to them so they don't feel great in use. The middle left-hand button gives you parallax control, which can be altered plus or minus in both shooting and playback modes to get the best results. An Auto parallax option is available, but minor adjustments will give a better final image on the camera's display.

Other major controls worth mentioning include a 2D/3D button. This will let you jump between 2D and 3D both in shooting and image viewing (although you can only view images shot in 2D in 2D obviously). Shooting in 2D uses only the left-hand lens, unless you step into the advanced 2D shooting modes.

Other controls are divided between the buttons for some direct functions – like flash control – and the various menus. It will take some time to get used to what you'll find where as it isn't the most intuitive menu system. You'll also have to read the manual to really understand what your options are here, as plain experimentation may just lead to frustrating ends.

Power the W1 on and you are greeted with 3D-ish menus, which is where you might want to flip to 2D whilst you concentrate on the information. Shooting modes range from Auto, through the usual scene selections, manual, aperture priority and program mode. The latter three modes give you control over things like ISO, white balance and shutter speed and aperture (max F/3.7) accordingly.

These are fairly regular options and do give you some degree of creative control. You might find that using some of these elements in 3D mode is a little daunting at first, but in the standard 2D mode they work as they would on most other cameras. The really interesting shooting modes, however, lurk in the further two options.

3D Advanced shooting contains two further shooting modes: Interval 3D Shooting and Individual Shutter 3D. These revert to using the left-hand lens only and take two shots to be combined. Interval lets you select a time lapse between the two, so if you are moving past a distant object you'll get your shots for your 3D image. Individual Shutter takes two shots on two presses of the shutter button.

These options give you much more control over creating 3D images. Essentially, these advanced modes replicate the sort of thing you'd do with a normal camera and post-processing software to create a 3D image.

Advanced 2D shooting modes give you the choice of using one lens zoomed, with one at the wide angle, or one in a different colour set (e.g., one colour, one black and white) or with different ISO settings. However, in practice, by the time you have selected these options, you might as well have just changed the relevant settings and taken two shots.

Writing to the memory card is a little slow, we found it typically to be around 3 seconds for a daylight Auto 3D shot to a class 4 4GB SDHC hard. That may not be an issue for 3D photographers where composition of a shot requires more consideration than standard 2D photography. That said, 2D shot writing is also a little slow, but a continuous mode will give you up to 40 shots in succession.

Snapping 3D images is great fun and the W1 gives you plenty of scope to explore 3D photography. But there is a slight stumbling block at the moment: viewing your images.

Sure, the screen on the back gives you an instant viewing option, but beyond this you might find yourself too far ahead of the curve. Fujifilm also sell the V1 viewer (?370) which will act as a photo frame for showing off your images, but it's an expensive option. Fujifilm will also be offering an option to print your images, but that currently requires them to be printed in Japan and sent to you (at a yet-to-be-determined price for the UK).

Beyond that, if you are not equipped with a 3D monitor or Nvidia's 3D Vision, then you'll need to consider how you'll be viewing these beautiful 3D images. Your 3D images are output in MPO format, so you'll need someway of viewing these files. We used StereoPhoto Maker, which is both free and relatively simple to use and will allow you to create versions of your images that can be easily shared as a JPEG, either in as anaglyph or as a cross-eye picture (or other alternatives).

The FinePix W1 also supports video capture, at a maximum resolution of 680 x 480 at 30fps (both in 2D and 3D). It features stereo mics and stereo speakers and the sound audio quality is actually pretty good. Video is nice and clear and is output as a stereo AVI. StereoMovie Maker (again a free download) will allow you to convert your original 3D file back into something less high-tech, like an anaglyph or side-by-side video file for sharing elsewhere, such as on YouTube.

The W1 will record a JPG image file alongside your MPO if you wish, meaning you have the choice of a conventional image. You can, of course, whip a single image out of the MPO too after the matter using software. As a 10-megapixel compact camera, the quality is reasonably good, with plenty of detail in shots, even if it does get a little choppy at 100% views.

Colours are realistically represented and overall the exposure seems to be good. The flash (which has the usual slow sync, red eye reduction, etc, options) boosts otherwise pretty good low light performance, aided by well suppressed noise up to ISO 800; the ISO 1600 has noticeable noise, but is still usable.

High contrast shots seem to be handled without excessive fringing and the W1 also manages to grab definition out of dull grey skies, not something that every compact can boast.

Flipping over to 3D gives things a bit of a colour punch with 3D bringing a richness to images that can feed your desire to explore 3D further. Image composition is easy in Auto mode, but favours scenes with plenty of depth: macro 3D photography through the Adv. 3D shooting mode is not for the feint-hearted (see the spider anaglyph test shot using macro Individual Shutter 3D).

Verdict:

For those who are already addicted to 3D content creation, be it video or still, the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 is a dream come true. It takes a lot of the hassle out of 3D image creation, but doesn’t limit you to auto-only features. It's a shame, then, that there isn't anything supplied in the box to handle the software conversions you'll probably find yourself doing. Fujifilm have muttered previously that software should be coming, but no sign of it yet.

Mac users are also left a little in the cold, with both the applications mentioned in this review having Windows versions only.

So is this the 3D answer we've all been waiting for? Well perhaps not. As a camera we'd welcome a slimmer, more compact model and the menus could certainly do with some revision. The construction materials don't really impress for a camera that will set you back ?430. The FinePix W1 is punching into entry-level DSLR territory at that price.

Traditionalists will continue to say that 3D isn't needed, but the W1 provides a strong opposing argument: 3D is an art form just as conventional photography is. The first thing you'll find is just how much fun you can have with the W1. It's all about experimentation in a field that is going to see an explosion over the next few years.

You can either be at the forefront and dive in now, or bide your time until second and third generation devices arrive. It is currently niche, certainly, and won't break into the mainstream for as long as viewing your results presents a problem. But once we all have 3DTVs in our lounge, you'll remember the W1 for the innovative camera it is.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Fujifilm Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 3DTV 10 megapixels Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1

Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:04:17 +0100

Adobe's Photoshop Elements for PC and Mac and Premiere Elements for PC software are due for their yearly update. Version 8 of both programs has been released, and contains a host of new functionality, mostly in the ease-of-use department.

These bits of software aren't as hardcore as full Photoshop and Premiere - instead Adobe says that they're targeted just above the average consumer, at hobbyists who want headroom to learn how to do complex things and impress their friends.

Elements Organizer for PC
The Elements Organizer bundled with Photoshop Elements 8 for PC contains new technology that allows users to auto-analyse their photos and video and tag them for quality and content. Adobe demonstrated facial recognition to us, too, where you tag a person a few times and it's then able to suggest where that person appears in other photos - making tagging large photo collections easier.

The other minor change to the organiser is that tags can now be displayed in a Web 2.0 style "cloud", rather than the traditional tree. In a jab at its rivals in the consumer space, Adobe told Pocket-lint that "Ease of use doesn't mean putting brightly coloured buttons on the screen". The new functionality lies organised in menus, instead.

Photoshop Elements for PC and Mac
In Photoshop Elements itself, on both PC and Mac, Adobe has tweaked the quickfix tools. Now they all display small thumbnails below their slider when selected, so you can preview the effects of the filter. Adobe says this is because it found that many consumers avoid sliders that they don't understand, so it's trying to educate them in what colour temperature, for example, does.

New functionality has also been added that lets users combine shots with different exposures. Instead of having to choose between putting the flash on and getting your subject, or having it off and getting a clear background, you can take both and digitally combine the two without any tricksy cutting out.

Instead, you just select a background and up to 20 foreground shots, then scribble with a brush approximately over what you want to keep in the foreground. It'll line everything up for you, and expose everything a little more nicely. It'll also work in an exposure bracketing mode, for cameras equipped with that functionality.

Lastly, Adobe has added the ability to recompose shots - cutting out uninteresting space between people. Adobe's calling the tech "content aware scaling", where the software will try and work out the important bits of an image and rescale around them, instead of squishing them.

If it's not working perfectly, you can use the same brush scribbling as mentioned before to indicate areas to keep. Alternatively, if you're a wannabe Stalin, then you can also completely erase people from images - the company called this the "Ex-wife remover".

Premiere Elements for PC
Moving on to Premiere Elements for PC, Adobe has introduced a few more quality-of-life functions to the software. For starters, when you're dragging clips into the timeline, it'll scan the quality and alert you if it thinks that your video is too bright, dark, shaky or lacks contrast. It's then able to auto-correct with a filter.

"Smart Trim" functionality has been added too, which scans a clip for areas where not much is happening, and marks them for optional trimming. It evaluates based on the quality of the section of the clip, and whether anything "interesting" is happening in it - the level of which can be adjusted with a slider.

Those "interesting" things can be tracked - you can select an area of the picture to track, and then attach things to it. We were shown a clip-art bird following a girl's head, and a pixellated area following someone's face.

Lastly, instead of manually adjusting the volume of background music during a clip, you can now automatically reduce it when people are talking in a video clip. The software is smart enough to detect when noise from a clip is a car door slamming, or other background noise, and ignores it in favour of human speech.

Conclusions and Pricing
Adobe Photoshop Elements for PC & Mac and Adobe Premiere Elements for PC should be out now, and cost ?100 for Windows versions of both, or ?65 for just Photoshop or just Premiere on either platform. Those prices are excluding VAT.

Read

Related links:

• News - Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 launched
• Link - Adobe Consumer

Tags: Software PC software Photo editing software Adobe Cameras Software updates

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is here originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:01:00 +0100

Two American MIT students have managed to capture images of the Earth's surface with a home-made kit estimated to cost ?90.

Oliver Yeh and Justin Lee's kit included a compact camera, a weather balloon, a mobile phone and hand warmers.

The camera was placed inside the cooler, and set on a timer, while the hand warmers were strapped to it so the battery would not freeze.

A GPS-enabled mobile phone with a wireless router to send GPS coordinates back to the pair was included.

The whole kit was then attached to a helium-filled weather balloon and sent to the edge of space with a parachute for when the balloon popped.

The balloon was launched on 2 September. It was recovered in Worcester, Massachusetts around 25 miles away from the launch site.

Justin Lee said: "We were like placing bets on whether we thought it would work or not. Early on, we were optimistic that it would work. About 4 hours after, [when] we hadn't heard any news about the device, we had sort of given up hope. We'd thought we'd lost it".

The signal was picked up, Lee added: "We were so excited, we jumped right back into the car, and we drove out to Worcester, and we found it. That was a great moment".

Read

Tags: Cameras Space Car And GPS

Students successful with £90 space camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:25:34 +0100

Presumably due to be available soon, iLuv is to offer a case for the fifth gen iPod nano that gives the camcorder-capable device camera looks.

The clear plastic case for the Apple's newest nano is decaled with a fake lens, while its actual lens is turned into the flash.

The case is priced at $24.99 but currently marked as "not available" so you'll have to check back to buy.

Read

Related links:

• Reviewed - iPod nano
• Via - ChipChick

Tags: Audio iPod Cases iluv iPod nano Cameras

New iPod nano case brings camera looks originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:33:57 +0100

Pentax announced the launch of the K-x digital SLR camera on Thursday morning and by nightfall we'd bagged a model to get down and dirty with.

The new camera, which unfortunately we weren't able to use for any sample shots, is small, solid and light in the hand.

Priced at ?600 for the camera and a 18-55mm lens, the K-x is the follow-on model to the K-m, so falls into the entry-level category, and is due to go on sale this month.

Related links:

• News - Pentax K-x entry-level digital SLR announced

Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Pentax Pentax K-x 12 megapixels Camcorders Photos Digital cameras

PHOTOS: Pentax K-x DSLR camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:25:36 +0100

Wow. You guys really like the tag homepages, a lot it seems, so much so that we've now made the default homepage on Pocket-lint look like the tag homepages.

While the module homepage is still alive and kicking, following feedback, usage data and a stack of other feedback from different sources, the tag homepages across the site have been so popular that we've decided to bring virtually all of the features to the homepage.

What that means for you is you get to see what the most popular stories are on the site over the last 24 hours, the articles that we recommend you take a look at, and the most popular reviews over the last 7 days.

If that wasn't enough to get you excited, you can check out the latest reviews on the site via the latest reviews carousel, as well as see the latest news in a more traditional list format.

Fans of the modular homepage don't panic, though, we've got you covered. You can still access that page with all your stored settings on it, it's just moved to a different location - pocket-lint.com/modules.

The module homepage is great if you are an occasional visitor to the homepage and want a glance or overview as to what is happening on the site and what's good to read rather than just seeing the latest breaking stories.

You have a massive amount of control of what stories are displayed. You can choose the modules you want from a comprehensive list such as most read, popular reviews, most commented on, latest videos and plenty more.

If you're not sure what we mean by tag homepages, simply type a company name after the Pocket-lint.com url and you'll see what we mean. It's great for keeping track of your favourite topics.

Ultimately the move is all about us making your experience on Pocket-lint the best it can be.

Stuart and the Pocket-lint team.

Related links:

• Link - modules homepage
• link - Tag homepage example

Tags: Software Audio Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Sports Fitness Photos Site news

Site News: New look homepage originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:56:16 +0100

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today? Scroll down to see what you should be reading on the site.

NEWS:Pioneer launches CDJ-2000 turntable
With 6.1-inch screen
Pioneer's CDJ-1000 turntable has become the industry standard among DJs that play from CDs thanks to its tank-like construction, big vinyl-emulation wheel and exceptionally precise controls...read more

NEWS:Pentax K-x entry-level digital SLR announced
K-m successor to launch in red, blue and white
Pentax has announced the launch of the K-x digital SLR camera. The claim is that the new snapper combines a variety of advanced features and user-friendly functions in a compact, lightweight body...read more

NEWS:Students gets discount Windows 7
?30 for .ac.uk email addresses
Microsoft has announced a deal for cash-strapped students ahead of the start of the University term across the country...read more

NEWS:UK postcode database gets Wikileaked
Royal Mail "looking into it"
The UK postcode database is reported to have been leaked online over at the Wikileaks site...read more

NEWS:PHOTOS: Pure Sensia internet, DAB and application radio
Hands on with the touchscreen radio/media hub
Pure is aiming for the October release of the Sensia to reinvent radio once again as the hub of home life...read more

NEWS:PHOTOS: HP Dreamscreen digital photo frame
Hands-on photo gallery showing some of the features
HP has released a new range of digital photo frames and Pocket-lint was on hand to snap the new frames in action ahead of their official launch on Thursday...read more

NEWS:MoGo Talk for iPhone adds Bluetooth headset into casing
Slimline Bluetooth headset slots onto the back of your phone
Newton Peripherals, the company that specialises in creating Bluetooth headsets and mice, has launched a new Bluetooth headset that fits snugly into a case that fits on the back of an iPhone 3G and 3GS...read more

NEWS:HP Dreamscreen digital photo frames bring facebook photos to your living room
New model offers music, video alongside pictures
HP has released two new digital photo frames on Thursday that promise to be more than just your average digital photo frame...read more

NEWS:Dell Studio XPS 8000 desktop PCs launch
For demanding users
Dell has launched the new Studio XPS 8000 desktop computers that it says are "designed for people who insist on raw power"...read more

NEWS:Site news: Photo galleries get slick
New features make viewing our images even easier and better
We like photos here at Pocket-lint, we like them a lot. That's why we've been working hard to bring a new slick feature to our photo galleries on the site, for both news and reviews stories, to save you time and improve your experience...read more

Tags: Audio Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Daily news roundup - 17/09/09 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:57:02 +0100

While some have pitched the HP digital photo frame as a tablet beating Apple to the punch, it's worth starting by staying this isn't a touchscreen tablet device in the slightest.

In fact talking to HP, they actually moved away from making it touchscreen based on focus group feedback saying that such a move would make the screen dirty.

Why? Because while the Dreamscreen can and will let you do more things that it perhaps should, its core principle function is to be a digital photo frame, and from our brief experience of it, a very good one at that.

There are two models in the range, the Dreamscreen 110 which is a 10.2-inch LED backlit model and the Dreamscreen 130, a 13.3-inch model with standard LCD tech. From a software point of view both are identical in their offering. It really is just screen size and screen technology that stand them apart.

In reality that means that the smaller screen comes across more vivid, brighter and crisper, but it's not a deal breaker for either device.

What it is not, is OLED. HP say that it would be possible, but cite costs for not choosing that technology. Rather than a mind-blowing screen as found in the Kodak OLED offering, instead you get a frame packed full of features.

Around the back both models feature a memory card reader for all the usual formats. There are no surprises and all major formats are supported. Failing that you can also store images on the 2GB of internal memory or furthermore stream photos and videos via a PC over a wireless network as, yep you guessed it, the frames sport Wi-FI connectivity.

Streaming support is currently rather limited, however HP say they have big plans. Those plans include NAS drive and Media Server support as well as Mac however, the latter not really being a focus for now.

Everything is controlled via a touch sensitive panel on the front of the unit, which is simple and responsive. When not in use the buttons disappear into the gloss black frame. We say frame, but like the company's new Envy range of laptops, the front of the digital photo frame is a single piece of glass. Unlike Kodak you won't be adding your own frame to this unit.

Failing the touch sensitive buttons, you can also use the included credit card sized remote control that rather nicely slots into the back of the frame when not in use. It's a nice touch and will save you from losing it.

Get past the hardware and rather than just offer you a way to show your photos (don't worry you can do that) there is a plethora of apps and features on board.

HP are clearly seeing a future in apps with talk of an SDK for developers and running a similar model to its recently announced printer with apps.

However this is day one so your choice is limited. Running a Linux OS, although you'll never see it, the frame is quick and responsive as you slide through the carousel menu system opting for things like weather and video playback. It also means that it will be to receive updates over the Wi-Fi connection.

Talking of which. Well that's so you can get the latest weather stats (provided by weather bug), stream from your PC, but also connect to the internet to get images from your Snapfish gallery (HP's own photo printing service) and more interestingly Facebook. Disappointingly there isn't Flickr support.

The Facebook app allows you to see status updates, event and more importantly for a digital photo frame, your and your friend's photo galleries. Now you can see your mates pissed in the bar in your living room. Genius.

Besides viewing images - of which you there are a number of options from displaying your photos with a clock, calendar, in varying effects and the such like - the frame also supports video playback, as long as it's in the right encoded format. In the US you'll also be able to access the Pandora music streaming service so it effectively becomes a radio as well.

Verdict:
Digital photo frames are two a penny at the moment with virtually every manufacturer offering what they claim in the latest and greatest ways of showing off your digital images.

Interestingly HP seems to have been able to achieve something that could prove rather exciting, in the rather dull world of digital photo frames.

Don't get us wrong, we love the concept and already have a couple (from other manufacturers) in the house, however with the Dreamscreen the shift towards a "fourth screen" is even more apparent.

With a device like this offering weather, Facebook status updates and other such social networking experiences, we could easily see a Twitter client, Spofity and other apps coming quickly.

The only downside is that without that touchscreen interface or a battery for that matter (you'll have to have it plugged into the wall), this isn't the tablet computer you perhaps want, but really just a rather impressive digital photo frame.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames HP HP dreamscreen 110 HP dreamscreen 130

HP Dreamscreen digital photo frame - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:32:14 +0100

Pentax has announced the launch of the K-x digital SLR camera. The claim is that the new snapper combines a variety of advanced features and user-friendly functions in a compact, lightweight body.

Priced at ?600 for the camera and a 18-55mm lens, the K-x is the follow-on model to the K-m, so falls into the entry-level category, and is due to go on sale this month.

It offers 12.4-megapixels with a new CMOS sensor, PRIME II imaging engine, a 2.7-inch LCD display, live view shooting, movie recording at 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) and 24fps, and high-speed continuous shooting at 4.7 pics per second.

The K-x is launched alongside the smc Pentax-DA L 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED super-telephoto zoom lens that will be offered in a twin-lens bundle for ?749.99.

With the claim of capturing 1900 images with four AA batteries, specs include up to ISO 6400, face detection, shake reduction, 16 filters for visual effects, cross process mode and an 11-point AF sensor.

Tags: Cameras DSLR cameras Pentax Pentax K-x 12 megapixels Camcorders

Pentax K-x entry-level digital SLR announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:17:41 +0100

HP has released a new range of digital photo frames and Pocket-lint was on hand to snap the new frames in action ahead of their official launch on Thursday.

The new models will come in 10.2- and 13.3-inch varieties and are on sale in the US from Thursday priced at $249 and $299.

Although no official plans have been confirmed for the UK as yet, a spokesman for the company told Pocket-lint that there were plans to bring the digital photo frames to the UK.

Running Linux, the new models, called the Dreamscreen, ditch Flickr support over Facebook, allowing users to check their status, events and view photos.

The Linux operating system also allows for further apps and the promise of more with the interface being quick and nimble to respond.

The frames sport 2GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi connectivity and a remote control, which fits in to the back of the display as you can see from the pictures.

Interestingly the 10.2-inch version is LED backlit while the 13.3-inch version is regular LCD technology.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames HP HP dreamscreen 110 HP dreamscreen 130 Photos

PHOTOS: HP Dreamscreen digital photo frame originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:40:29 +0100

HP has released two new digital photo frames on Thursday that promise to be more than just your average digital photo frame.

The new models, called the Dreamscreen 110 and Dreamscreen 130, will come in 10.2- and 13.3-inch variants and feature 2GB of on-board memory, Wi-Fi, memory card reader, and the ability to stream photo galleries from Facebook and the company's Snapfish photo service.

Built using a Linux OS, the frames will also promise movie support, Pandora music streaming, weather, and the promise of more apps in the future.

Users will be able to stream content from a PC over the wireless network, while support for streaming from a NAS drive or media server is due later a spokesperson told us.

Control is either via a touch sensitive interface on the front of the frame or via a remote control that tucks into the back of the device.

The 10.2-inch screen will be LED backlit, however the 13-inch will be standard LCD. Both have a 800 x 480 resolution.

"We see this as much more than a digital photo frame", the lead product manager told us in a candid interview before outlining a number of possibilities in store for the future. This includes the ability to request prints directly from the frame as well as offering an SDK to allow programmers to develop dedicated apps for the frames.

The two new models will be available in the US from Thursday priced at $249 for the 10.2-inch frame and $299 for the 13.3-inch model.

HP confirmed to Pocket-lint that the frames would be coming to the UK, however didn't have a date at the time.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames HP HP dreamscreen 110 HP dreamscreen 130

HP Dreamscreen digital photo frames bring Facebook photos to your living room originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:04:50 +0100

We like photos here at Pocket-lint, we like them a lot. That's why we've been working hard to bring a new slick feature to our photo galleries on the site, for both news and reviews stories, to save you time and improve your experience.

Why should you care?

What now?

Why have we done it?

Will it work on every browser?

Questions?

Related links:

• Photos - Photo stories homepage

Tags: Audio Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Photos Site news

Site news: Photo galleries get slick originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:53:08 +0100

The Pentax X70 is a 12 megapixel, DSLR-styled digital camera notable chiefly for the whopping 24x optical zoom bolted on the front. The theory is that, with the broad focal range on offer (26-624mm in 35mm terms), the X70 will be all the camera that most will ever need, so why stress that we can't actually change the lens, like on an actual DSLR?

It's not the first compact model such featured - Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony all offer their own big zoom rivals - nor will it be the last. So what else does Pentax's contender, its first ultra zoom, possess to make it worth your further investigation?

Feeling roughly half the weight of an entry-level DSLR with lens attached - such as Nikon's new D3000 for example - the unassuming looking X70 is obviously a more portable, not to mention affordable, option for those wanting a long lens reach without the usual bulk.

Coupled with its on board Intelligent Zoom function, the lens reach can be extended to a camcorder-like 150x (a frankly ridiculous 3900mm equivalent!). OK, its manufacturer's suggested asking price almost matches that of a DSLR "proper", but you are getting a lot of lens for your outlay.

Of course, with any telephoto zoom model it's important to have some reliable form of anti-shake on board, and here Pentax offers image sensor shift-type shake reduction. Gyro sensors detect movement prompting the CCD to move vertically and horizontally at high speed to counterbalance and hopefully cancel out any external wobble. As with any such system, it's not infallible, but on a more positive note a higher proportion of usable images are achieved with it than without.

Also, thanks to a comfortable grip that your fingers can mould to, with a pad at the back for the thumb, it's possible to hold the camera steady enough to attempt hand held shots at the extremities of the 24x zoom. And, on a series of bright summer days, we were able to achieve acceptable results when doing so.

The only initial note of disappointment is that the build looks and feels rather obviously plasticy in comparison to a starter DSLR. But it does feature a rechargeable lithium ion battery - inserted into the base of the grip along with an optional SD or SDHC card (33.6MB built-in memory) - rather than the handful of AAs traditionally utilised by bridge models that add to the overall weight.

The X70's shooting modes are accessed via a familiar top-mounted dial with just the right amount of "give" to click definitively into place at each setting and not accidentally slip from one to the other when fetching it out of a camera bag. Here we are offered the creative quartet of program, shutter priority aperture priority, and manual settings, alongside full auto, with pre-optimised scene, sports, user attributable plus digital shake reduction settings also selectable.

While the rear 2.7-inch, 230k dot resolution LCD is fine for composing shots, the ability to switch to use of the electronic viewfinder immediately above proved a boon when wanting to more accurately check the detail of a shot, free from the distractions of sunlight on the screen.

Shame then that the screen itself is fixed, i.e., cannot be angled or tilted for a greater range of photo taking possibilities. There is a degree of picture control in that the user can choose whether to give image a bright, natural or monochrome look - the first option, for us, producing the better defined, dynamic looking, results.

The X70's operation is intuitive, so shouldn't daunt anyone trading up from a compact or indeed looking to supplement their entry- or mid-range DSLR with a more portable, yet not un-versatile snapper. And here we also get the option to shoot movie clips in high definition (1280 x 720 pixels), the final setting to flag up from the mode dial, though no HDMI output is provided, just the standard AV out and USB 2.0 connection ports.

The now ubiquitous face recognition is also present - biasing focus and exposure to up to a whopping 32 different faces in the frame; double that offered by most rivals. Macro functionality, selected via the four-way control pad right of screen at the rear, allows for close ups down to 1cm from your subject - which is what in truth we expect from this class of camera, as is a broad ISO range stretching up to ISO 6400 equivalent.

Better than average is an 11 frames per second continuous capture speed, for up to 21 sequential images. Inevitably there is some trade off to achieve said speed however, here a drop in resolution to 5 megapixels.

In terms of overall image quality, though pictures are well saturated and colourful in the main, unsurprisingly there's occasional softness when shooting at maximum telephoto, while pixel fringing creeps in between areas of high contrast upon close inspection - both pretty much what you'd expect from a camera of this ilk.

A disappointment when it comes to shooting video is that the optical zoom is disabled; the framing merely stays the same as it was before the shutter release button was pressed, which seems something of an oversight given the camera is majoring on its broad focal range.

Taking photographs in low light at settings up to ISO 800, results are usable, though we'd advise steering clear of ISO 1600 and above as detail is noticeably softened - at ISO 6400 images more closely resemble sketchy brass rubbings than photographs.

Verdict:
Offering itself up as a jack-of-all-trades tool, the X70 can either be used like a point and shoot on steroids, or a more creative device according to user experience or desire. It will seem immediately intuitive to use for anyone who has handled an entry-level digital SLR.

If it's a camera that will slip into your top pocket or take slightly crisper images overall, then look elsewhere. But if a long lens is your chief concern, then the Pentax X70 offers an easy and affordable route to capturing candid, fly-on-the-wall style shots.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras 12 megapixels Pentax Pentax X70

Pentax X70 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0100

SanDisk has launched its latest professional grade CompactFlash card, the Extreme Pro.

The new cards are pitched at pro photographers, offering read and write speeds up to 90MB/s, with cards coming in from 16, 32 and 64GB capacities

SanDisk claims the performance is thanks to its "Power Core Controller's dual-lane architecture and software algorithms", giving you a 90MB/s over a UDMA-6 bus.

Mr. Sasagaki, general manager, marketing department, Nikon Corporation commented: "Professional-grade memory cards play an important role in producing optimal results from Nikon's high performance Digital SLR cameras ? The SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card's 90MB/s read and write speeds will boost overall DSLR performance and help photographers get the most out of our cameras".

As well as the new Extreme Pro cards, SanDisk has introduced a new line of Extreme CF cards, with 8, 16 and 32GB capacities, which cost from ?61-190 and have read write speeds up to 60MB/s.

The new SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards start at ?197, up to a whopping ?657 for the largest.

As a publicity stunt, SanDisk froze a selection of memory cards in a giant ice Canon camera, to prove that the cards work once released from the ice.

Tags: Cameras Memory cards SanDisk Storage Canon Nikon

SanDisk Extreme Pro CF launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:16:04 +0100

This "Downfall" clip has been spoof subtitled many times, but this Apple-themed effort works particularly well. Hit play to see Hitler's disappointed reaction to the news that the third-gen touch remains camera-less. Warning: there's lots of swears.

Read

Related links:

• VIDEO - Hilarious spoof "Downfall of HD DVD" video

Tags: Audio iPod Video iPod Touch Cameras Apple

VIDEO: Hitler hears the iPod touch has no camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:09:58 +0100

Canon is teasing the Swedish over what it says is one of the ?most important launches in the company's history? with a recently revealed invite.

The unveiling is to take place on 29 September. Whether the Swedes are playing catch-up with what's already been outed here, or they are in for a new treat is yet to be seen.

With no clues to be had from the image, stay tuned and we'll bring you more when we have it, or have your say in comments below as to what you think - or hope - it might be.

Read

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Canon 7D DSLR camera
• Via - ElectricPig

Tags: Cameras Canon Rumours

Canon teases for "important" launch originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:04:35 +0100

AgfaPhoto has announced its latest range of slimline digital photo frames with seven models angling to appear on Christmas lists later this year.

The range is said to be "super slim" at 1.3cm wide while for ease of use the power and connectivity ports are positioned in the low level strut behind the display.

There are three multimedia frames in the range, sized at 7-, 8- and 10-inches that, as well as a card slot for SD, MMC, MS memory cards, have up to a 1GB internal memory. As well as Jpeg images, these models play MJPEG and MPEG4 videos and MP3 audio files.

All the frames boast low energy consumption and an auto on/off function while the multimedia models get a night and day light sensor mode.

The frames start at ?49.99 for a 7-incher through to ?129.99 for the 10-inch multimedia frame effort and will be available from Argos.

Tags: Cameras Digital photo frames Agfaphoto Gadgets

AgfaPhoto launches seven new digi-frames originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:57:40 +0100

Pocket-lint has teamed up with Duracell to bring one Pocket-lint reader and friend the chance of winning an adrenaline-fuelled ride in a helicopter.

The pilot will "put the helicopter through its paces in order to show you just how versatile these incredible machines are" so make sure you forgo the full English on the morning of the ride.

The winner will also come away with a Bladez 3D remote control helicopter, a Duracell mini charger and Duracell ActiveCharge rechargeable batteries in a prize package worth ?600.

Duracell ActiveCharge rechargeable cells are ready to go straight out of the packet and have the ability to hold up to 75% of their power even after a year in storage.

Click the link below which will take you to the Duracell website so you can browse their full range of products and the second link will take you to the competitions page where you'll have the chance of winning this top prize by answering the question.

Related links:

• Link - Duracell
• Competition - Extreme helicopter ride

Tags: Audio Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Competitions Duracell

Win an extreme helicopter ride originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:16:03 +0100

iFixit has revealed the results of its tear-down of the new iPod touch, and for those in a speculative state of mind, they make interesting reading.

Perhaps supporting the rumour that the iPod touch's camera was dropped at the last minute due to technical faults, it seems Apple has "left room" for a camera in the top of the device.

Meanwhile, the player contains a Broadcom BCM4329 chip, which supports 802.11n (which the iPhone doesn't yet have) as well as FM transmission, leaving options open for future updates to offer new functions.

The full tear-down, complete with a plethora of pics, is live online now over at iFixit, while a video is promised soon.

Read

Tags: Audio iPod Apple iPod Touch iFixit Wi-Fi Cameras Rumours Photos

iPod touch tear-down reveals space for camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:02:30 +0100

Jessops has announced it will be offering the Fuji Finepix J30 exclusively in blue.

Launched earlier this summer, the J30 is aimed at the beginner slash budget end of the market and is already on sale in pink, black and silver.

The blue version shares the same specs as the previous models and offers 12-megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch screen.

Weighing 130 grams, the compact snapper features face detection, automatic red eye removal, automatic scene recognition and offers a panoramic shooting mode which stitches three shots together.

The Fuji Finepix J30 in blue is priced at ?129 and is available now at Jessops stores and online.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Jessops Fujifilm Fujifilm Fuji Finepix J30

Jessops offers exclusive Fuji Finepix J30 in bright blue originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:24:37 +0100

Leica announced their forthcoming X1 digital camera yesterday and we were on hand to grab a few shots of a (sadly) non-working sample.

When it hits the shelves in January 2010, it will bring with it a 12.2-megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor (which you'd normally find in a DSLR) and a fixed 24mm lens.

Following the design lines of the M series, the all metal body is lovingly trimmed with leather, giving it an unmistakable Leica look.

It isn't until you glance around the back at the 2.7-inch display that you realise you aren't holding a museum piece - such are the retro looks.

A pop-up flash is neatly and discreetly positioned in the left of the camera, but a hot shoe will take Leica's SF 24D or SF 58 flashes if more power is required.

With a price yet to be revealed, you can be assured that the X1 is likely to become the reportage camera of choice for discerning photographers.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras 12 megapixels Leica Leica X1

PHOTOS: Leica X1 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:04:27 +0100

Leica today throws open the doors of it's new London store, joining the line of exclusive shops in Toyko, Berlin, Paris and Moscow.

The boutique-style store sits in Bruton Place, Mayfair, and it decked out with a simple red and black d?cor to match the design of their photography and other optical products.

The new London store is much more than just a shop-front however. Supporting Leica owners and potential customers, there is a studio above store providing space to tests and shoot.

Called Studio S, it is kitted out with lighting rigs, screens and a healthy array of Apple iMacs for your post-production work. This space also covers the Akademie, a training and presentation room equipped with the Leica Pradovit D-1200 projector. Use of the space is by appointment only.

The new Leica store can be found at 34 Bruton Place, Mayfair situated between Old Bond Street and Berkeley Square, London W1.

Opening hours of the store are 10.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday, and 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturdays.

Related links:

• Website - Leica Store Mayfair

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Leica

Leica Store London opens today originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:31:35 +0100

Whilst the world was looking towards Apple, we managed to get our hands on something sweeter than the common-or-garden fruit at the launch at the new London store in Mayfair.

Here we have the new Leica M9, which steps into the shoes of the M8, presenting a full-frame, 18-megapixel, digital rangefinder alternative to your usual snapper.

Delicately machined in Portugal and assembled and calibrated in Germany, the new Leica M9 oozes retro cool.

If you want to know how much it is, you probably can't afford it.

Related links:

• News - Leica M9 and X1 announced

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Leica 18 megapixels leica m9 Photos

PHOTOS: Leica M9 digital camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:25:58 +0100

Apple has released a promotional video for the new iPod nano, which sports a video recorder and an FM radio on board.

As you can see from the video above, Apple will allow you to add a number of effects to the footage however, the company disappoi