Day 3 of our Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 nominees round-up means it's camera time. With these little devils getting more and more sophisticated, it's hard to keep up with just what it is that makes the best in show these days.

So, before you head over to the voting page to mark your choices, here's a little run down of the pick of the crop this year.

Olympus Pen E-P1

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Type

Micro Four Thirds

Release date

16/06/09

Price

?520

PL review rating

9/10

The E-P1 is basically the most beautiful camera around. It's got a stunning retro design with not a clunky part or poor piece of thought put into it anywhere. It will turn heads and and then make them green with envy. Of all this, there is no doubt. Sadly, the contest is not one of looks alone but, fortunately, Olympus has done an excellent job making this Micro Four Thirds system an excellent picture taker too.

The lack of viewfinder and flash - both of which have to be strapped on - are frankly a pain in the arse, but the rest of what you get is top quality. It has a healthy ISO of up to 6400 with little noise at the top end, it takes 720p HD video, even in widescreen if you ask it too, and the standard 17mm lens is nothing short of magnificent. With all the technology of the Olympus E range tucked away in the casing, this camera has all the power and quality of a DSLR and all the fun and convenience of a compact. The only other downside is that it does cost a fair whack too.

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Canon PowerShot S90

Type

Compact

Release date

19/08/09

Price

?329

PL review rating

9/10

Bringing together the sort of manual control found on the new G11, with dimensions closer to a typical compact, the Canon PowerShot S90 has proved an irresistible appeal to those looking to get a little more from their pocket camera. Lurking under that matte black exterior is the same sensor as you'll find in the G11, again with the DIGIC 4 processor, and all Canon's usual technologies.

The lens offers you an impressive F2.0 max aperture which, when combined with image stabilisation, means it’s a contender for better low light shooting, which you can even take to ISO speeds of up to 12800 so long as you can handle the drop to 2.5-megapixel resolution. Sitting around the bottom of that 28-105mm (35mm equiv.) lens is the new Control Ring, which is also one of the key and most exciting features of the camera which allows easy change of settings, with a "Ring Func." Button on the top to let you program it just how you like.

Fantastic flexibility and superb control at an increasingly reasonable price.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

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Type

Micro Four Thirds

Release date

02/09/09

Price

?584

PL review rating

9/10

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The Lumix GF1 is a direct competitor to the Olympus Pen, but where the latter has that Parisian 60s chic, Pansonic's offering is more akin to Soviet minimalism. It's an Eastern Bloc of a chassis. Apart from that, what you get inside is very similar. There's the 12.1 effective megapixels from a 13.1-megapixel LiveMOS sensor, 720p HD video shooting and an excellent pancake lens.

There's a nice bit of one-upmanship in that it does have an in-built flash but you still have to rely on the EV to compose your shots. While we're at it, the 3-inch LCD display is a better quality too. What you don't get are the gorgeous looks and quite the same sense of desire, but shooting is as fantastic as ever proving just how hot the competition is this year.

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Fujifilm FinePix 200EXR

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Type

Compact

Release date

04/02/09

Price

?170

PL review rating

8/10

The FinePix F200EXR is a 12-megapixel compact that offers a Fujinon 5x, 28-140mm wide angle optical zoom lens and a 3-inch 230,000 dot LCD. All sounds pretty normal for a compact, and on the surface it is. The real genius behind this snapper is that it's next to impossible to take a bad picture on it. The reason is because of the EXR system, which takes two pictures at different exposure settings every time you press the button and superimposes them onto one another so you get the best shot possible, and it works bloody well.

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The only real issues with this FinePix are that it's not very pretty and that the system starts to crumble at high ISOs when you'll get speckles on your shots. It does have an intelli-flash and and excellent auto selection mode and between all the features you'll find that you rarely get disappointed. A real bargain for ?170.

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Nikon D5000

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Type

DSLR

Release date

14/02/09

Price

?449 & ?50 cashback

PL review rating

9/10

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As the only DSLR on the shortlist, the Nikon D5000 has got some representing to do. It sits above the D60 but below the D90 in the Nikon range, with a feature set culled from the latter, but priced towards the former.

It has a 12.3MP CMOS sensor and a new tilt, turn, swivel 2.7-inch LCD and with 720p HD movie capability it is, well, a cracker. The idea behind the model is that it's a camera for all the family. It's got all the manual and exposure controls an enthusiast would want, lots of nice friendly menus and diagrams for the keen learner and all the point and press functionality for children, so long as you can trust them not to drop it in the sea.

The swivel screen is the first for Nikon and adds the fun feel to this DSLR plus with the inclusion of the ?50 cashback offer this Christmas, it's excellent value for money.

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Related links:

• Feature - The low down: Best Car Gadget 2009
• Feature - The low down: Best Music Gadget 2009

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Canon Olympus Panasonic Fujifilm Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Features

The low down: Best Digital Camera 2009 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:11:30 +0000

Casio is offering a tough-as-old-boots camera to rival the likes of Olympus and Pentax with the launch of the Exilim G EX-G1.

Aimed at "life adventurers" and launching with such claims as the fact it offers "endurance engineering as its cornerstone", we think we'd better skip to the specs in order to keep on track.

The 12.1-megapixel EX-G1 takes microSD cards, is resistent to shock, dirt, humidity, snow, temperature and water to varying degrees, gets a 2.5-inch LCD and a 3x zoom lens.

For those that value pocket space, the big sell is that it apparently boasts the world's thinnest profile of 0.78-inch (19.9 mm) (apart from sticky-out bits) in a shock resistant digital camera.

It will go on sale in the States for $299.99 in December, while UK pricing is ?279 and it's due to touchdown here in January.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Casio Waterproof Casio Exilim G EX-G1

Casio Exilim G EX-G1 rugged snapper launches in the States originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:26:37 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Digital Camera in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best digital cameras on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Olympus Pen E-P1

Canon PowerShot S90

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1?

Nikon D5000

FujiFilm FinePix F200EXR

A notable commendation should also go to the Canon 500D.

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

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 in the UK 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.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Canon Olympus Panasonic Fujifilm Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Digital Camera 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

To best understand what the new GXR interchangeable lens camera from Ricoh is all about, take a look at the diagram above we grabbed from the press presentation.

The lens units are so much more than optics: they are a complete imaging unit. Packed in behind the glass you have the sensor, which will differ between lenses, as well as processors and motion sensors. The "camera" won't be limited by what you have in the main body, moreover, it will be defined by what you have in the lens unit.

The launch lenses are the GR Lens A12 50mm F2.5 Macro and the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC (vibration compensation). The properties of these lenses are entirely different – it isn't just the focal length.

The GR lens has a 12.3-mexapixel 23.6 x 15.7mm CMOS sensor and it is capable of 720p HD movie capture: it costs ?600 and will give you a 16:9 aspect image. The Ricoh lens has a 10-megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor and will only be good for VGA quality video: it's half the price of the GR lens, giving you a 4:3 aspect image.

The former is what you might expect from a DLSR camera, the latter, a compact camera. But what happens if you don't want to bump down to a lesser quality sensor just because you want a zoom lens?

The other side of the diagram shows what is packed into the body itself: another image processor, the battery, memory, flash, LCD and all the connectivity. Not only will you be able to buy different lens units, but in the future, potentially, you could be buying an entirely different body that fits with the system.

The two are connected by a single interface and as a sealed unit, you don't have to worry about dust and debris getting onto your imaging sensor, which Ricoh are pushing as a significant bonus of the system.

Check out the magnesium alloy body below and if you want to get heavy with pictures, head over to our hands-on photo gallery.

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Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR

Understanding the Ricoh GXR originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:10:00 +0000

Ricoh has announced the launch of the GXR, which they are calling an "interchangeable unit camera system".

It is a new system for the company, as Ricoh tackles the challenge of increasing quality whilst still remaining compact. The name comes from a fusion of the GX and XR series of Ricoh cameras.

Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager Ricoh Europe, described the GXR as "drastically expanding the shooting range" available to photographers.

The GXR features interchangeable lens units which slide on to the main body of the camera. This allows the body of the camera to stick to small dimensions whilst giving the user the flexibility to chop and change lenses depending on their shooting requirements.

The GXR body features a built-in flash and 3-inch 920k-dot screen around the back, with the option of purchasing an additional electronic viewfinder which connects to the hot shoe on the top. The dimensions of the body are 113.9 x 70.2 x 28.9mm.

The real unique feature of the GXR system is the use of a sealed lens unit which also contains the imaging sensor, meaning that there is no risk of dust or dirt ingress – which is a risk on DSLR cameras and their smaller Micro Four Thirds challengers.

At launch you'll be able to get two lens units: the GR Lens A12 50mm F2.5 Macro and the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC. The GR lens gives you 12.3-megapixels on a CMOS sensor, whilst the Ricoh lens presents you with 10-megapixels and a CCD sensor.

Ricoh is looking to launch more lenses in early Q2 2010 to expand the offering.

The Ricoh GXR will be available from December 2009 and the pricing lines this up as an enthusiast model. The GXR body will cost you ?419, the GR lens ?600, the Ricoh lens ?330. The EVF will be ?219 and the accessory flash will be ?239.

Why not check out all our hands-on photos?

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Related links:

• Photos - Ricoh GXR hands-on

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR

Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit camera system launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Pocket-lint was on hand to grab some shots of the new Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit system camera.

The GXR takes the fight to Micro Four Thirds, offering a system which lives in the small form factor of a compact camera, whilst offering interchangeable lens units.

Each lens unit pairs up the glass with the sensor and a processor unit, rather than using a sensor built-in to the body of the camera. The body, in effect, becomes little more than a battery pack and control unit.

Those sealed lens units offer the advantage of being sealed, so protect the sensor from dust or dirt ingress, an inherent problem with traditional SLR/DSLR cameras and the new Micro Four Thirds system cameras.

The hotshoe offers an accessory attachment point which, like the Panasonic Lumix GF1 or Olympus Pen EP-2, can accept an electronic viewfinder or a flash.

Feast your eyes on our hands-on pics below and why not head over and read the news story, or check out our First Look of the GXR? Links below.

Related links:

• News - Ricoh GXR Interchangeable Unit Camera System launches
• First Look - Ricoh GXR digital camera

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR Photos

PHOTOS: Ricoh GXR hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

To get the tech deals up and running this week we have the Samsung ES19 digital camera from Currys, who has seen fit to price the product at ?69.99.

For your 70 notes you get a pretty straightforward specifications list, but one that should be fine for no nonsense every day snapping. Apart from the 12-megapixel sensor you'll get a 2.5-inch LCD to view you pictures on, 3x optical zoom, face detection, digital image stabilisation and a beauty shot feature.?

The high res sensor means that anything you print up to A3 should still look decent and the camera can also shoot 640 x 480 VGA resolution videos at a frame rate of 30fps.

Currys is offering free delivery and is willing to pick up the old product for recycling. This link will take you to the Currys website and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Samsung Samsung ES19 12 megapixels Currys Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Samsung ES19 digital camera from Currys originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +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 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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:59:14 +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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:32:45 +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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:18:03 +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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:28:13 +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.

Read

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

Nikon S1000pj gets torn apart originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:32:09 +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 http://www.pocket-lint.com 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 http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:33:24 +0100