Samsung PL70, PL55 & ES17 – user friendly digital cameras

The Samsung PL series is all about making digital photography fun, easy and fairly cheap, and what the Korean tech overlord has done today is to add on a little functionality to that list.

Samsung-PL70.jpg

PL70

The PL70 comes with a 12.2-megapixel sensor, capturing stills and 720p HD video through a wide-angle 28mm lens with 5x optical zoom and displaying them for your pleasure on the 3-inch, 230K colour, LCD screen on the back. It measures 95.8mm × 59.5mm × 23.9mm, comes in black, silver, red or pink and gives you 11 scene modes to play with as well as an intelligent auto mode that will make the choice for you.

Naturally, there’s image stabilisation, whether you’re in optical or digital zoom modes, and it comes with all the usual beauty shot, smile shot, face detection, blink detection and self portrait modes that most good compacts have these days to help you get the results you’re after. A very reasonable £199 from August.

PL55

Essentially the same beast as its bigger brother here but no HD video shooting mode. You can still capture moving footage but only in 640 x 480 MPEGS rather than the H.264 encoding on the PL70.

Samsung-PL55.jpg

That brings the price down to £149 but you also switch to a standard, non-wide, 35mm lens and a smaller 2.7-inch LCD and I’m not sure that’s worth the saving. However, if you are on a budget, you can pick up this 97mm x 59mm x 24.5mm model in either black, silver, red or blue from next month.

ES17

Samsung-ES17.jpg

The baby of today’s three is the £89 Samsung ES17. Just face detection and beauty shot to play with but a reasonable enough 12.2-megapixel sensor and 3x optical zoom. There’s still image stabilisation, not that you’ll really need it at that magnification, and although you’ll get more functionality on a cameraphone these days, they ES17 will probably still give you a better picture. You get what you pay for.

Samsung

Fujifilm unveils 3D digital camera plans

finepix-real-3d-system.jpg

Notice anything strange about this Fujifilm camera? How about the fact that it’s got two lenses on it? And the word 3D?

Yes, that’s right. This is the latest in Fujifilm’s philosophy entitled “if you can’t beat them, patent something they haven’t already thought of” and in this case, it’s the world’s first consumer 3D stills camera.

It works by taking two slightly different angles of the same action and the images are either displayed in print with a clear plastic overlay that acts like a lens or on a 8-inch LCD photoframe that directs the images separately at the left and right eyes.

On the one hand it stinks of gimmick, on the other, it’s a gimmick I just really want to try. Imagine your friends looking through your future photos of your safari holiday. Imagine the shots of charging rhinos actually looking like they’re coming right out the picture.

Naturally, this fun isn’t going to come cheap when it’s launched in Europe in September. They’re looking at $600 for the camera, a few hundred more for the frame and prints could cost anything up to a couple of quid a shot.

Oh, and the name. Oh yes. The working title is the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D System. Let’s hope they find a short version, eh.

(via Time)

Nikon roadmap for the 2009-2011 leaked, posted & revealed

Er, wow. That’s quite a leak. More of a gush, a flood, a deluge of camera goodies. I feel a bit sorry for Nikon but, you never know, it might work in their favour.

What seems to have happened is that someone’s got hold of a 37-page document from Nikon HQ in Kingston, UK, and decided to talk about it in one foreign language or another before Nikon Rumours banged it back through a Google translator and came out with some interesting garblings that looked like this. I’ll spare you heavy lens details here on TD but do take a look at the original for details. The headlines on the cameras, though, are as follows:

End of July 2009

We’re going to see a Coolpix range of compacts, including a model with a 10 lumens, LED projector capable of 40″ images at a 640×480 resolution.

4th August 2009

Launch of the Nikon D3000 and Nikon D300s – specced down version of the D5000 and the long awaited upgrade of the fabulous D300.

The D300s looks like it’ll have Full HD video shooting at 24fps, improved AF, self timer + mirror-up and an SD card slot to go along with the compact flash.

15th October

Launch of the upgrade of the Nikon D700, the Nikon D700x. It’ll come with a with a 24.5-megapixel sensor, Full HD video at 24 fps, improved AF and self timer + mirror-up.

Q2 2010

Launch of what we all thought we’d see when the D5000 came out – the Nikon D400 – and the Nikon D4 for the serious among us.

The D400 will have a 13.8-megapixel sensor and Full HD video at 24fps. Switch the numbers for 15.7 and 30 for the D4.

Q3 2010

The launch of the impressive sounding Nikon Coolpix P1DX which’ll come with a with DX 12.3-megapixel stabilised sensor, 28-85mm/3.5-5.6f zoom and a 2.9-inch 920k LCD.

Q4 2010

And just in case you’ve got any money left or you fancy getting a third mortgage just for shits and giggles, then you’ll be able to prepare for the 30.2-megapixel Nikon D4x which probably has the kind of features to keep you interested until the next roadmap comes out.

Naturally, this could all be a load of nonsense. I’ll let you know on 4th August.

(via Nikon Rumours)

Prezzybox launches the Pet's Eye View camera

16227.jpg

Occasionally we at Tech Digest receive information on some of the more ‘wacky’ gizmos and gadgets that are being unleashed upon the world of tech. Some we like and some we don’t.

The Pet’s Eye View from Prezzybox is definitely one we like. It’s such a simple idea that you can’t help but like it.

It’s a small, lightweight camera that can be attached to a pet’s collar – we’re talking cats and dogs here people, not gerbils and hamsters – and can be set to take pictures at intervals of either one, five or 15 minutes. It can store up to 40 photos.

If you ever wondered what your pet gets up to during the day then the Pet’s Eye View could provide you with the answer.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if loads of people found out that their dogs had weird, secret habits like cross-dressing or throwing wild toga-parties for the other neighbourhood dogs?

The Pet’s Eye View camera is available now from Prezzybox priced at £39.95.

SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: Nokia N86 8MP

If you need a need to have more megapixels than anyone else, then I wouldn’t advise buying a Nokia N86 8MP. For a short while, it’s going to be the top cameraphone, along with the Viewty Smart but give it a few months and the Samsung Pixon12 will blow them both out the water.

That said, I doubt the Pixon12 will have as good a lens on it as either of the other two. So, if you’ve got your head firmly fixed on your shoulders, then I suggest you lend an ear as I dole out my verdict on the very best in camera phones form the House of Nokia…

The N86 isn’t going to be for everyone. In fact, it’s probably for a quite a small section of people but those who don’t want or need a touchscreen, who like a good camera on their phone and who want things the Nokia way will be pleased, if slightly underwhelmed with the handset.

If it weren’t for the laggy processor and slight lack of sex appeal, I’d herald it for all. But I can’t. So I won’t. Those on a free upgrade will certainly not be upset.

There’s some deals if you’re happy to go on an 18-month contract with the phone free for around £40 per month. It’s a lot of cash but at least the price plans are generous.

RUMOUR: Nikon D3000 and D300s images leaked?

Liked the look of the Nikon D5000 in our review earlier this month but can’t afford to cough up the £640 to make it yours? Well, according to rumours circulating in cyberspace a stripped down version of the D5000 could be on its way in the form of the D3000:

d3000.jpg

The D3000 appears to be slightly less, shall we say, fat than the D5000 and it doesn’t look as if there is a swivel LCD display. It will probably have reduced flash components with a smaller viewfinder. There’s no sight of a microphone or an HDMI port either.

It isn’t just the D3000 that is shamelessly flaunting itself for the world to see either – the D300s is also allegedly getting in on the act:

d300s.jpg

This looks like an upgrade to the existing D300. Rumours are rife that the D300s may include 720p video recording as well as SD memory card storage, a quiet shutter mode and the muscle to continuously shoot at 8fps.

(via Electronista)

SHINY VIDEO REVIEW: LG Viewty Smart

I’ll make this easy for you. If the camera is the most important feature of a mobile phone for you, then you should probably buy the LG Viewty Smart. Here’s why:

A lot of phones tout their picture taking abilities but the Viewty Smart is one of perhaps three I’ve ever used that’s got anything like the hardware to back that claim up. With its top notch lens, an excellent interface, proper chipset and very impressive sensor, it really does the job. Hours of fun.

Like with all compacts, sometimes it requires a little patience with the auto-focus and there is an inevitable shutter delay but it’s as good as you can get right now. The only two slight complaints I have about the phone are that there’s no lens cover – poxy as they are, this is a piece of glass worth protecting – and that the phone feels a bit too light, almost like it’s going to squirt water at you when you try to make a call.

But, if you like cameraphones, or if you like LG, then look nor further for your next handset. The interface is a little on the meh side and no one’s going to be impressed when you pull it out your pocket but, then, that’s because no one’s going to know what a good piece of kit it is.

Pick it up here for free from £20 per month.

The Pentax Optio W80 "adventure" camera

w80_1_w500.jpg

Are you more of a Bruce Parry than a Bruce Forsyth? Do you prefer to spend your holidays clinging to an overhanging cliff face rather than clinging to the bar after one too many sangrias? Do you prefer to pitch your tent in the middle of an Arctic storm rather than sleeping in a 4* hotel room?

If so, the Pentax Optio W80 point and shoot camera could be the perfect companion for your travels. This is one hell of a tough camera, you see. This camera is “adventure proof”:

– Coldproof: Perfect for skiing or snowboarding as it can stand temperatures as low as minus 10°C.
– Waterproof: Not just from the rain either, you can use this camera to take images and videos up to 5m deep.
-Dustproof: Not just great for dirty houses, this will also come in handy on desert safari.
-Shockproof – Drop this baby from a metre and it won’t feel a thing. Drop it from higher than that and who knows? It’s only shockproof from a metre so don’t push your luck.

It’s not only a durable little blighter, it’s also got the spec that an ardent traveller is going to need to get good shots. For starters it’s 12.1-megapixels with a 5x optical zoom. It can also capture video in HD with a widescreen resolution of 1280×720 at 30fps.

The 2.5-inch LCD screen will display crystal clear images even in bright sunlight and there’s also built in face detection for up to 32 faces with smile capture and blink detection.

This camera looks very impressive. I want one already. I want one even more now I know that it comes in three colours including Gunmetal Grey. Gunmetal Grey sounds like the hardest colour ever. Can colours be hard? I bet Gunmetal Grey could kick any other colour’s arse.

It’s out in July in the States for $300, expect a UK release not long after with a price between £200 and £250.

(via Engadget)

Olympus EP-1 gets official – specs and prices

EP-1.jpg

I don’t know about you but I was blown away by the beautiful shots of the Olympus EP-1 we saw yesterday. So, today is the number crunching now that the official release is out.

There’s a 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor within that exquisite frame with an ISO range of 100-6400, and it’s not just there were it sounds like a proper DSLR. It shoots RAW footage, if you desire, onto SDHC cards and features both in-body dust reduction and image stabilisation. It’ll rattle off shots at an impressive 3fps using an 11-point AF system through live view onto a 3-inch, 230,000-dot LCD on the back. All very healthy stuff.

It records HD video at 720p and 30fps and despite its antiquated look you do get all manner of HDMI and USB ports. I’m very impressed to note the presence of microphones in the plural which makes stereo sound recording possible unlike most DSLRs which only offer mono.

So, the big question is – how much do you reckon this all costs? What would you pay for style, size and supreme functionality?

Well, you can pick up the body and the zoom lens for £699, the body and the fixed wide angle for £749 or the lot for £849, and all of it here. There’s also an optional flash which’ll bump it up too.

Take a look at the detailed spec sheet for the bits and pieces you’re looking for but, if you ask me, it’s very good deal – provided it actually takes good photos, of course.

i, stereo recording, WAV files, ,slot, HDMI out and 720p video recording at 30fps, n,, , AVI Motion JPEG(30fps) to 2GB,

Olympus

Beautiful Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera leaks onto net

Olympus-EP1.jpg

Word was that the Olympus EP-1 was to launch tomorrow but the internet has had other ideas about that one and images of the gorgeous little snapper have leaked onto our screens this afternoon. Whoops. Still, I’m sure they can impress us with the specs in the morning.

For now, what we have is rather stunning Micro Four Thirds camera designed in homage to the old Rangefinder film cameras. Of course, instead of 35mm stock, there’s a full size DSLR image sensor in that little body and a choice of one or two lenses. The standard is a 17mm wide angle chap with a 14-42mm 3x zoom by its side.

Doubtless it’ll cost a bomb but we have one night to dream. Sleep well, my friends.

(via Engadget)