Better performance from a smaller body is the order of the day for Canon's just-unveiled PowerShot G1 X compact. Aimed at pros and enthusiast amateurs, its CMOS sensor is an impressive 18.7 x 14mm, close to the APS-C ones found in their top tier EOS gear.

14.3 MP in a 4:3 aspect ratio and propped up by a Digic 5 processor, the CMOS sensor offers a standard shooting range of ISO 100-12,800, as well as on-chip noise reduction.

A 4x lens give a 28-112mm range when in terms of 35mm, with a max aperture of F/2.8 and 4 stop points of image stabilisation.

Full manual controls, similar to Canon's G12 are onboard, while the lens gives a 3-stop ND filter, letting you muck around with settings easier without having to worry so much about over-exposure. 1080p recording at 24fps is supported, with HDMI output for big-screen playback.

As well as a pop-up flash and optical viewfinder, you'll also find a 3-inch 920k-dot resolution display on the rear.

Though technically a compact, this is still a hefty bit of kit however. With measurements of 116.7 x 80.5 x 64.7mm and a weight of 534g, you're gonna need some clown-sized pockets to fit this in.

Available in late February, it'll be pricey for a compact, sitting at the £699 mark.

For more news from CES 2012, click here.

Lexar have just announced the release of their new Lexar Professional 1000x Compact Flash cards.

With a minimum guaranteed sustained read speed of 150MB per second, the new CF cards support the VPG-20 specification, allowing for professional video capture streams up to 20MB per second to be shot without dropped frames at high frame rates.

When paired with a UDMA 7-enabled reader, the Lexar Professional 1000x CF also speeds up transfer rates by quickly clearing the camera's buffer.

Compatible with all UDMA CF and CF devices, Lexar's card includes the latest version of Image Rescue software, which helps recover erased or corrupted shots.

"Professional photographers who shoot both photos and video look to Lexar for storage solutions that will enhance their digital workflow and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of the creative process," said Manisha Sharma, director of product marketing for cards, Lexar.

"The Lexar Professional 1000x CF card offers some of the best performance available, not only for use in-camera, but also when moving images and video from the card to a computer for editing and processing. Our goal is to allow shooters to focus on capturing great shots, including high-resolution images and HD or 3D video, instead of using up precious time processing in the studio."

Available in three sizes, the Lexar 1000x cards will cost £149.99 (16GB), £269.99 (32GB), £469.99 (64GB), and £799.99 (128GB). They will be available to buy from February.

Nikon has just revealed its latest flagship pro DSLR, the D4. Bringing over 45 new or improved features compared to the previous D3 model, it's been tailored especially for sporting and news reportage photography.

Before we delve into the features on show, here's a quick run down of the key specs:

- 16.2 million pixel FX format sensor
- ISO 100-12800, expandable 50-204,800
- Full HD video recording at 30/25/24fps
- 720p HD video recording at 60/50fps
- 3.2 inch 921k dot resolution rear LCD screen
- Up to 11fps shooting
- 51 AF points

Taking a closer look first at that 16.2 million pixel FX full frame format sensor, it's capable of low noise images thanks to redesigned 14-bit A/D signal processing tech. It also allows for a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-ISO 12800, which can be tweaked to the equivalent of ISO 50 and up to ISO 204,800.

Sitting on the camera's rear is a 3.2 inch wide-angle LCD screen with automatic brightness controls, running at a 921k dot resolution. Whether shooting in landscape or portrait orientations the button layout remains the same, while one handed ergonomics have been improved, as well as the ability to swap between AF and AF-area mode selection without taking the camera away from the users eye.

Moving onto video capture, and the Nikon D4 is capable of Full HD video recording available at 30p, 25p, 24p, or 60 p for slo-mo 720p clips. Each clip can run for 29 minutes and 59 seconds.

Both FX and DX formats are supported through a new multi-area mode, letting you capture the same scene with differing crop levels. Uncompressed HDMI output fro pro editing is now possible, as well as an audio out for headphones for quick edits while out in the field.

Nikon's proprietary Advanced Scene Recognition system is onboard, using the new 91,000 pixel RGB sensor to keep scene reproduction as accurate as possible, better track 3D movement and detect human faces. The Multi-CAM3500FX AF Sensor module has 9, 21, and 51 point coverage settings allowing for quick subject detection, and also lets autofocus be possible in incredibly low light scenarios.

Keeping the wildlife/reportage focus in mind, the D4 matches the power of eleven central AF sensors, particularly useful when shooting from a distance with an extender. The redesigned Kevlar shutter is good for at least 400,000 releases, with superfast operation speeds of 0.012 start up time and 0.042 seconds for release lag.

Two card slots are now onboard, a first for any DSLR, compatible with both high-speed UDMA 7 CF cards and the new XQD format. Another Nikon first, a wired LAN connection also features on the camera, while newly designed WT-5 wireless transmitter for HTTP and FTP connections has been included. HTTP now also works with iPhone and iPad screen resolutions.

Due on February 16th 2012, it has an RRP of £4,799.99

The end of an era may be coming for once-mighty photography giants Kodak. After years of declining financial performance, the company are said to be bracing for bankruptcy as they prepare to sell off a large number of their digital patents.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Kodak have filed for Chapter 11 protection, but are looking to fend off the bailiffs a little longer by opening an auction on their sought after digital photography patents. Despite the company's focus on film shooting, it's worth remembering that Kodak invented the first digital camera way back in 1975, through the work of engineers Steven J. Sasson and Gareth A. Lloyd.

A similar auction system greatly helped the fortunes of Nortel last year. Similarly floundering, their open bid patent auction managed to raise of $4.5 billion, way over the estimates as the likes of Google became caught in a bidding war.

However, with over 19,000 employees and shares dropping since 1997 to a record low of 47 cents on Wednesday, the $1bn that Kodak are estimated to gain from any such sale may still not be enough to prevent more woes latter down the line.

Asda are selling what they claim is Britain's cheapest digital camera for the pocket-money sum of just £14 as part of their January sales.

However, unless you're 4 years old, or the world's biggest adult Pixar fan, you may want to think it over before instantly whacking out your credit card; it's aimed squarely at kids with it's Cars 2 movie branding, and has specs to match.

Taking very basic VGA 640 x 480 resolution shots, the camera has 8MB of internal memory, good for 319 photos. The camera also doubles up as a webcam, and comes with software making it compatible with PCs running Windows 2000, NT, XP, Vista or Windows 7.

There's also one with "Disney Princesses" branding, if talking cars aren't you kid's favourites.

"This is the perfect starter camera for any future David Bailey. At this price they're sure to get snapped up quickly," said Hayley Whittaker, the camera accessories buyer for Asda.

Click here to pick up the snapper.

What appears to be the long-awaited mirrorless camera from Fuji has made its way online, presumably ahead of a full reveal at next week's CES 2012 show.

First teased by Fujifilm president and chief executive officer Shigetaka Komori back in October, he stated that "Fujifilm will launch in spring 2012, a mirrorless system camera with interchangeable lenses. The clear objective in the development of lenses, sensor and processor technology to achieve the highest image quality."

The above leaked photo, originally posted on omuser.com, doesn't give much away, merely showing the viewfinder, grip and black chassis.

However, if Koromi's rather extravagant initial statements are to be believed, we can look forward to snapping away with "resolution and low noise that will surpass the 35mm full size sensor."

A bold claim indeed. Not long to wait though, as we're sure to find out more at CES 2012 next week, where the Tech Digest/ Shiny Shiny teams will be n the show floor.

Via: PhotoRumours.com

We're all well used to snapping away and popping our holiday photos on Facebook these days.With cameras in everything from mobile phones to tablets to games consoles, it's easy to take for granted just how important the advent of photography was, and just how far the technology has come.

High-end camera manufacturers Nikon however are well studied in the history of picture taking, and have put together a neat timeline, starting with the very first photo taken in 1826, stopping off at the first colour photograph 150 years ago and coming up to the present day with the company's own super-fast Nikon 1 camera system. It's well worth a look and is full of great snippets of info for photography enthusiasts.

Nikon have also put a modern spin on the famous 19th century 'galloping horse' sequence taken by Eadweard Muybridge, seen above. They've replicated it with Wales rugby international, Gareth Thomas, swapping four legs out for two, and turning a gallop into a goal-line dive.

To view the timeline, head over to www.nikonmilestones.com.

The Tokyo offices of camera makers and medical suppliers Olympus have been raided by Japanese prosecutors amidst allegations of an accounting scandal.

Part of an ongoing investigation, accounting discrepancies were brought to public attention by the company's former chief executive Michael Woodford, following his being fired.

Olympus have admitted to hiding $1.5bn (£968m) of losses over the course of the past two years, revaluing their net assets down from 225 billion yen to just 46 billion yen. The company also declared losses over the six months leading to the end of September to be 32.3bn yen (£267m).

"I would suspect that any documents needed by the prosecutors could have been just requested for and delivered by Olympus," Martin Schulz of Fujitsu Research Institute told the BBC.

"But the fact their offices have been raided seems to indicate that there are new developments in the investigation that might add a new twist to the story."

We'll bring you more on this story as the details are revealed.

Instagram, the mega-popular free iPhone app that allows you to add filters and borders to your otherwise stale smartphone snaps, is headed to Android phones.

Speaking at the Le Web conference in Paris, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom revealed that his team had allocated "two people working on Android" app projects.

Two people may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that the whole Instagram team is only made up of 6 employees, that makes up a third of the company's workforce!

Though likely to remain free, Systrom revealed they are keen to improve the app's monetising strategies.

"Obviously, we didn't start a business to not make money. Our focus now is on growing the network. You really need to build up the network, or no advertisers care," said Systrom.

That network however is looking healthier by the day; 14 million iPhone owners already have the app installed, and that number would rise dramatically were the app to hit the wealth of Android phones available too.

No exact release schedule yet revealed for Instagram's Android version, but we'll be sure to pass on any details as we get them.

Via: CNET

While the Hollywood big shots will be salivating over this morning's EOS C300 reveal, those with more modest wallet sizes (and a bit of patience) also got some good news from Canon.

The company are said to be ironing out the creases on a concept EOS series DSLR that would offer the same 4K shooting found in the C300, but pair it with a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor.

With that combo, you'd be able to videos at a zippy 24fps (using Motion-JPEG compression), without compromising on the quality of stills captured simultaneously.

According to Canon, it "will make possible the type of exceptional image quality and sublime imaging expression to be expected from the next generation of EOS Movies."

Very, very exciting. No news yet on when we'll see these units in the flesh, or how mcuh they'll cost, but we'll keep you posted.

Canon have today revealed the new EOS C300 interchangeable lens digital camera, with its sights set squarely on a place in the hands of Hollywood directors currently using Red Scarlet kit.

Very much a high-end, pro shooter (the $20,000 price tag sets it out of most amatuer filmmakers), it'll be a relatively compact way to capture blockbuster scenes.

Two models will be available, the C300 and the C300 PL with Arri Positive Lock PL mount. Both come equipped with a new Super 35mm-equivalent sensor, boasting rich, natural colours.

Specs ride high throughout - 4K imaging is possible thanks to an 8.3-megapixel CMOS sensor offering 2160 x 3840 reolutions, powered by a DIGIC DV III processor.

Plenty of lens options will be available too 14.5-60mm and 30-300mm lens (EF and PL mounts), and 24mm, 50mm and 85mm prime lenses for the EF mount only.

Saving on to two flash cards, by using the Canon XF codec the photography giants are also claiming recording write speeds of 50mbps.

Keep an eye out for these on Hollywood film sets from January.

GoPro have released the follow up to a their popular HD Hero camera, the HD Hero2.

A small, action-orientated camera whose predecessor is a regular now on Hollywood sets, the HD Hero 2 offers 11MP still images and an image processor twice as fast as the original, with a stripped-back, simplified user interface. A tiny unit, the HD Hero2 is designed to clip onto helmets and handlebars, making it perfect for extreme sports enthusiasts.

With professional low-ligh performance, the HD Hero2 also offers full 170º, medium 127º, narrow 90º FOV in 1080p and 720p video, as well as120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p video and full 170º and medium 127º FOV photos.

Burst shooting modes also allow for 10 11MP snaps to be captured every second, while and 1 11MP photo every 0.5 seconds in time-lapse mode.

"The HD Hero2 is much, much easier to use than the original HD Hero," says GoPro's director of product definition, Rudy Samuels.

"If you know how to use a traditional camera, you can use the HD Hero2 straight out of the box without instructions. This makes the HD Hero2 very powerful as an everyday, easy to use consumer camera while retaining all of the features, modes and performance that has made GoPro the best selling small form factor HD camera to Hollywood."

Out now, the GoPro HD Hero2 costs £299.99, with the original dropping to £199.99.

Canon have revealed the successor to their superb 1D Mark IV DSLR, launching the Canon EOS-1D X today.

A spec-heavy beast of a camera, it features a full-frame 18.1MP CMOS sensor with 12fps and 14fps high speed modes, 100-51200 ISO levels and a precision 61 point AF system with 41 high sensitivity cross type sensors.

Dual DIGIC 5 processors power the show, with the camera offering Full HD 1080p recording, and full control over settings like exposure, frame rates, audio and compression.

A dedicated DIGIC 4 processor is part of the 100,000 pixel RGB AE metering system, promising natural snapping results, while a high-res,"superbly durable", 1,040k-dot 3.2-inch Clear View II LCD sits on the back for previewing your work.

Due out in March, it's set to sell for around the $6,800 mark.

Fujifilm have confirmed that they are working on a mirrorless camera system, set to be unveiled in early 2012.

"Fujifilm will launch in spring 2012, a mirror-less system camera with interchangeable lenses. The clear objective in the development of lenses, sensor and processor technology to achieve the highest image quality," said Shigetaka Komori, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fujifilm at a Tokyo press conference on Wednesday.

The new system will feature a larger sensor capable of "resolution and low noise [that] will surpass the 35mm full size sensor," according to Komori. However, Komori did not elaborate on wheter or not this would lea to a full-fram Lecia M9-style sensor or a bespoke solution.

Fujifilm are expected to launch the mirrorless system at next year's CES conference.

Fujifilm also used the conference to announce the new X-S1 camera. Featuring a 2/3" EXR CMOS sensor like the one found in the Fujifilm X10, the X-S1 uses a 26x, 24-624mm equivalent F2.8-5.3 zoom. It will be instores by early 2012.

Via: Pocket Lint

Fancy yourself as a whizz behind the lens of a camera? Then Canon have an opportunity that may be right up your alley.

The photography giants are launching the Canon EOS Adventure, a Europe-wide competition as much about inspiring up-and-coming DSLR photographers as it is giving away unique prizes.

Head over to the EOS Adventure page, where you'll be presented with a series of tutorial videos put together by Canon's professional experts, including brand photographer Adam Swords, wildlife photographer Jamie Crawford, creator of popular German photo magazine KWERFELDEIN Martin Gommel and botanical photographer Rachel Warne.

Those who use the techniques shown on the page and post the results through Canon's public Yahoo! and Flickr galleries will be entered into a draw to win a trip to Kenya, where they'll be indulged with a once-in-a-lifetime photography adventure with "The Big Cat People" Jonathan and Angela Scott, putting their new-found skills to the test whilst touring around Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve from their base in the Governor's Camp.

Running from now until Sunday 20th November, visit www.canon.co.uk/eosadventure for more info.

Eastman Kodak, the legendary photography and printing firm, have seen their shares go into freefall today, with their worth dropping 25% following the news that they have taken out a £103 million loan for "general corporate purposes".

The news means that Kodak shares have dropped by 66% in this year alone, with the company failing to turn a profit since 2007. Turn the clock back to 1997 and Kodak were riding high, with shares worth $90 (£57). As of yesterday, those shares are now worth a measly $1.74 (£1.20).

The Wall Street Journal's Dennis K. Berman put the decline sharply into perspective with this tweet:

#Kodak stock closes at all-time low. The employer of 19,000 is now worth $468m, or $330m less than 50-person, profitless Tumblr. $EK

A once-powerful force in the analogue age, Kodak have struggled to keep up with digital competitors like Canon. Kodak as a result this year have been forced into selling off elements of their sizeable patent portfolio.

Rounding out Nikon's new range of mirrorless cameras as a slightly more budget-friendly offering is the Nikon 1 J1, a compact system with interchangeable lenses.

Available in a wide variety of colours, the Nikon J1 is "ideal for those who want a camera that effortlessly captures vivid personal and family memories" according to its designers.

Though its colourful casing and family-focussed marketing suggest this is a standard compact, it's anything but. There's prosumer tech in here.

A 10.1MP CX-format (13.2 x 8.8mm) CMOS sensor lining up a 2.7x crop factor, 10 frames per second stills shooting, a 3 inch LCD screen, 1200 frames per second slo-mo recording at 320x120 resolution, simultaneous video and still capture, 1080p video recording at 30fps, 73-point hybrid autofocus, and support for 12-bit RAW files all feature, showing the camera has high-quality tech credentials.

Image processing comes courtesy of the speedy Expeed 3 system, while a built-in flash and compatiblity with the new range of Nikon 1 lenses and accessories rounds off the features.

All the extra tech comes at a fair bit more cash than your standard compact though. Hitting stores on October 20th, it'll set you back at ÂŁ549.99 for the basic kit with a 10 mm lens. Scroll down for some more snaps.

Nikon have revealed their long-awaited mirrorless camera, the Nikon 1 V1. And judging by the impressive specsheet, it's been well worth the wait.

A tough camera that remains relatively compact despite its tech-heavy credentials, the Advanced Camera with Interchangeable Lens (A-CIL) V1 is unlike anything Nikon have ever put out.

A HD viewfinder highlights the new mirrorless direction, backed by a 10.1MP CX-format (13.2 x 8.8mm) CMOS sensor, making shooting in low light conditions hassle free.

The camera is compatible with the company's new range of 1-Mount lenses, with four available at launch, and one included depending on how much cash you're looking to splash. A proprietary Nikon external flash can also be attached too.

HD video recording features at full 1080p resolution, with 30fps and 60fps, and slow-motion modes available. A continuous still shooting mode at 60fps is also available if you keep the shutter button held down.

Two new shooting modes run across the new Nikon range. Motion Snapshot is an interesting idea, taking a still image alongside a slow motion clip to develop what looks like a moving photo. The most useful mode though will likely prove to be the Smart Photo Selector, shooting 20 high res photos quickly, then picking what the camrea feels is the best five depending on lighting, facial expressions, framing and focus.

Available in the UK from October 2011, the Nikon 1 V1 starts at ÂŁ829.99 for the 10-30mm kit, available in black or white. Scroll down for some more shots of the snapper.

Canon are planning what they claim will be a "historic" launch event in Hollywood this November, sparking the photo buffs to begin speculating as to what the DSLR specialists may have planned.

Due for November 3rd, the "historic global announcement", many expect the event to reveal the 5D Mark III and 1DS Mark IV cameras.

However, with the location being in Hollywood, perhaps Canon are lining up a big video capture update. Could a 4K camera, similar to that seen at the Canon Expo in New York last year be inbound? That concept piece could capture video at 4096 x 2160 resolution at 60 fps, compared to the 1280x1080 resolution of full HD. The 5D Mark II is renowned for it's superb video capturing skills, so perhaps the 5D Mark II will make the jump to 4K.

Alternatively, we could see the rumoured launch of Canon's compact mirrorless system, which has become somewhat of a secret race between themselves and Nikon to see who's will appear first.

We'll keep you posted on any developments come that November 3rd launch event.

Via: PhotoRumors

Looking for a snapper that walks the line between DSLRs and compacts? Take a look at Canon's newly-unveiled PowerShot SX40 HS.

Rather than opting for changeable lenses, the PowerShot SX40 HS goes for a long range 35x ultra wide angle lens, managing focal flexibility usually reserved from three different pieces of glass on a regular DSLR. It allows you to jump from 24mm to 840mm on a single lens, at the expense of constant aperture, starting at F2.7 and jumping to 5.8 at the far end of the zoom scale.

Image processing comes courtesy of the same Digic 5 unit found in Canon's top-end DSLRs, paired with a 12.1 MP CMOS sensor. The Digic 5 allows for solid ISO levels and natural colours, as well as the processing grunt to capture Full HD 1080p video.

Priced at £459, this one hits stores in October.