Fujifilm Brings Back Polaroid-Style Cameras

Fujifilm Brings Back Polaroid-Style Cameras

More than a year ago, the death knell of the Polaroid camera was widely documented. In February, Polaroid began shutting down its film factories, as the technology faded to black.

But lomographs, take heart. Fujifilm has stepped in with its line of Instax Mini instant-film cameras, which can be purchased for about $100 or so: a bit much for an impulse buy, perhaps, but cheap enough that a true fan can resuscitate some childhood fun without paying an arm and a leg on eBay.

While this isn't your mother's Polaroid camera, at least on paper the experience is the same: you take a picture, the camera ejects the film, and in a few minutes or so you have a color picture. What Fuji has done is to take that basic experience and added a bit more sophistication. ( (It should also be noted that in 2009, Polaroid will release a digital camera with a built-in ZINK printer.)

What you can buy and where you can buy them go hand in hand. Until now, the only place to buy the base Instax Mini 7S was at YesAsia.com, where the camera ships in both pink and chocolate colors, for about $76. A ten-pack of film adds about $10, bringing the total package price to $85.98.

Lomography.com said Tuesday, however, that it has added the Fuji's full line of instant-film cameras to its Web store. I'm not sure why, but the Instax line is also alternatively referred to as the "Cheki" line on the site.

For comparison's sake, Lomography offers the Instax Mini S Chocolate/Fuji Cheki 7 for $100, although the site will throw in a free film package for today only, Nov. 26. (Each film pack contains ten exposures, so it appears that a "twin pack" includes two 10-exposure packs.) The camera weighs 320g, uses a f=60mm lens, focusing from 0.6 m through infinity. basic exposure compensation is included, along with a low-light flash and an electronic shutter. All of the cameras include a nifty little mirror for taking pictures of yourself.

Normally, adding an additional twin film pack costs about $25, with discounts for bulk purchases. All of Fuji's cameras appear to produce prints that are credit card sized: 6.5 cm wide by 4.6 cm high. Special widescreen (6.2cm x 9.9cm) film is only compatible with the Instax 200. All of the Fuji instant film for the Instax/Cheki cameras is ISO 800.

The $135 Instax Mini 25/Fuji Cheki 25 adds an additional shutter button for vertical or horizontal shooting, a rudimentary range finder, two focus modes, a programmed electronic shutter, intelligent flash, and even an LCD counter of the available shots.

The $200 Instax Mini 55i/Fuji Cheki 55i adds a self-timer feature, as well as a two-shot mode, where you can set the camera up to take two quick shots -- a good way to burn through your available supply of film. The camera also includes a "close up lens" for focusing from 35 cm away.

It goes without saying, of course, that shooting and printing digital camera prints are far cheaper than these cameras, whether you choose to print at a retail store or at home. But that's not really the point, is it?

Read More......

Insignia NS-DSC7P09 7.0 Megapixel Pink Digital Camera: Best Buy Black Friday

Insignia NS-DSC7P09 7.0 Megapixel Pink Digital Camera: Best Buy Black Friday

This is the Insignia NS-DSC7P09 7.0 Megapixel digital camera that is available to buy on Black Friday at the great price of $59.99. There will be a limit of 1 per customer and a minimum of 15 per store.

You will take great shots every time with this camera thanks to the digital image stabilization and the high ISO sensitivity. It also comes with 4 x digital and 3 x optical zooms. You can also record video in AVI format.

There are many other great features on this camera that include a 2.5 inch LCD screen, Face Detection technology, 16MB of internal memory and it’s PictBridge compatible.

Read More......

Olympus Tough Smart 1050SW Digital Camera Review

Olympus Tough Smart 1050SW Digital Camera Review

The extensive series of Tough Smart Olympus cameras are one of the best-selling varieties across the current digital camera market for a number of reasons: they are robust enough to withstand a variety of extreme conditions and yet are stylishly designed, they are fun and easy to operate, and they are appropriately priced for the features and functions on offer (RRP $399 for this model.)

The latest edition to the range, the Tough Smart 1050SW, is certainly no exception. If the 10.1 mega pixels, 3 times optical zoom and built-in digital image stabilisation isn’t enough to steal your initial interest, then certainly the 3 meter waterproof, 1.5 meter shockproof, and minus 10 degree snowproof capabilities will be.

Not only do these characteristics make the 1050SW exceptionally practical in the sense that there really aren’t many shooting situations it cannot withstand, they also make owning the unit largely stress-free and operating it good fun.

You wouldn’t need to think twice before taking the 1050SW camping, to the beach, cycling, skiing, snorkeling, to parties, to nightclubs, on road trips, you name it. Nor would you hesitate to let children use the camera wherever and however they can imagine.

The Tough 1050SW can withstand some fairly rugged treatment along with an array of extreme conditions and as such, does not inhibit one’s photo-taking opportunities in any obvious way. This in itself is an extremely enticing quality for a compact camera to offer.

If the sound of the 1050SW’s ruggedness and durability is creating visions of a boxy, unattractive camera lacking in style then you may be pleased to know that, in fact, this unit is both neatly and stylishly designed and comes in a selection of appealing colours including: silver, blue, pink, black and gold.

The box kit includes the camera, a wrist strap, charger with a single dedicated battery, AV and USB cables, manual, software (Olympus Master 2), warranty card and a MicroSD attachment.

While purchasing a protective case may be a good idea, rest assured it is not entirely necessary. The 1050SW has its own lens protect slider built onto the front of the unit, which will look after both the lens and the flash whenever the camera is not in use.

Throw it your handbag, pocket, briefcase or backpack and don’t think about the 1050SW again until your ready to take some photos. Remember that the robust unit is shakeproof, shockproof, and waterproof. Additionally, a nightproof feature is included, which promises to reproduce accurate colours at night with and without the flash and also further illuminates the 2.7 inch LCD to make composing and previewing shots easier.

Shadow adjustment and face detection technologies combine to automatically adjust exposure and focus while the Olympus TruePic III image processor helps to ensure images are reproduced with correct colours and superior clarity and detail. Shadow adjustment does tend to overcompensate in lowlight conditions at night, in which case it can simply be deactivated using tap control mode.

This is an interesting feature that offers a glimpse into the likely direction camera technology is headed: to quickly preview images, engage or disable shadow adjustment, select your flash option, and allow for tap control mode simply double tap the top, back, and sides of the Tough 1050SW body with your index finger and voila, the respective feature control appears on screen.

The main control/arrow pad on the back of the 1050SW may initially prove difficult to operate for some as it contains 9 different action buttons within a space no larger than the size of a 10 cent piece. Other than that, the 8-function mode dial, zoom, power and shutter buttons are placed logically and are easy to use.

A few seconds lapse between turning the camera on and being able to shoot and it will take approximately the same time between shots for the camera to process and ready itself for further shooting.

Navigation throughout the menu system is fairly low-fuss although, as with most cameras, the user will definitely benefit from a thorough read of the included manual to speed this process up and ensure all function options, settings, and controls available are fully comprehended.

Movie mode is an additional feature included in the Tough 1050SW along with a 23-strong scene mode menu, which helps to ensure the best possible settings are automatically assigned during the given shooting conditions including (but not limited to): underwater, beach, snow, portrait, landscape, sport, available light, documents, and night scene etc.

Users have the option to make certain editing choices in camera ranging from cropping to colour edit, adding sound to still mages and creating a calendar from a chosen image. Photographs can also be locked in the 1050SW to ensure accidental deletion doesn’t occur and favourite images can be tagged and made easily accessible via the mode dial or general menu for quick previewing.

Overall, the Tough Smart 1050SW is a worthy edition to the successful Olympus Tough range and it certainly does live up to its name. Perfect for anyone active - be it in the outdoors or generally speaking - or those who travel and like to take their camera with them everywhere and all of the time.

Read More......

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700 First Thoughts

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700 First Thoughts

Sony can largely be credited for making touch screen ultracompacts one of the hottest niches of this market segment, and like clockwork, the manufacturer has delivered a premium touch screen camera with every new model cycle. Thus the announcement of the latest flagship Cyber-shot, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700, wasn't particularly surprising.

Sony's certainly savvy enough to know a good thing when they see it. Though reviewers have been less than kind about the lackluster images produced by Sony's expensive T models, consumers seeking the latest, most technologically advanced premium pocket camera have flocked to the series, with its unique touch-responsive interface, in droves. If performance hasn't always met the discerning standards of photo enthusiasts, the T models have found a warm reception among teens and young adults looking for style, portability, and snapshot quality.

According to Sony, the latest T700 isn't merely a stylish camera for casual shooting, though. Rather, the idea was to provide a fully integrate picture taking and storage solution. It's widely known that a fair percentage of digital images never make it off the cameras they're taken on, and many users use their digicams to transport shots and show them off to others. With 4 GB of internal memory and a unique file transfer system that allows up to 40,000 shots to be stored on the device itself, the T700 might just represent a new trend in digital picture display and storage system as well.

Touch screen cameras certainly are nothing new at this point, but for everyone except jaded camera reviewers, it seems that the novelty of being able to tap your way through settings changes on a huge screen hasn't worn off. Biases about whether or not a touch interface does more to get in the way of ease of operation than it makes up for with cool touch-responsive integrations aside, there's still something a bit "sci-fi" about a camera with no physical interface: even though the convenience of actual buttons means that they'll probably never become a thing of the past, touch screens continue to seem like the technology of the future.

Sony's got the style thing down with the Cyber-shot T cameras, and although many gentlemen may find our review unit's metallic pink finish an affront to their masculinity, the T700 comes in slick metallic black and charcoal hues as well. No boring silver boxes here.

Half of the visual appeal of a touch screen camera in my opinion is the ultra-minimalist styling it promotes, with its "where'd the buttons go?" visual effect keeping lines clean all around. The T700's few buttons, and especially its zoom toggle, are still tiny (though the toggle is positioned better than on some previous Sony touch models). Without a lot of real estate beyond the screen to work with in positioning dedicated buttons, small controls are simply the price to pay for novelty in this case, though users with larger fingers should note that both the tiny buttons and the screen itself can be a little unforgiving.

Build quality is everything we expect from a pricey Sony ultracompact, with copious metal and basically no plastic. That said, users should note that metal casings, while giving the T700 a high-end feel, are also more prone to denting if dropped. A small nick in our review unit's sliding lens cover is proof.

Sony's touch screen models have been around in the same basic form for awhile now, and jumping into the T700's interface, what you'll find is a system very much like previous T cameras. Touch-responsive "button" areas are laid out on three sides of the image preview by default. Obviously, the lack of physical controls beyond power, shutter release, and zoom toggle buttons means you'll be hunting through menus to get to a setting if you need to change it.

Of course, the T700's entire screen is touch-responsive – not just the sidebars. This allows easy navigation of on-screen pop-ups when making settings adjustments, and supports some features that only a touch interface allows, like the ability to point to any area within the frame and establish an AF lock at that area.

With its very thin metal shell, the T700 is built for heading out and about. Sony has been on the leading edge of building pocket cameras that truly fit in a pocket, and at some under half an inch thick, the T700 certainly does just that. Other than a potential concern about screen damage if you were to tote the camera in a pocket alongside your keys, for instance, there's nothing to stand in the way of throwing the T700 in your pocket as a camera for grabbing casual snaps.

Whether or not you dig the touch interface, there's little to argue about with the T700's screen itself. A rich, vibrant 3.5 inch panel sporting a phenomenal 920,000 dots of resolution makes viewing images and videos on the T700 a sublime experience compared to the poor reproduction you'll get from many ultracompact displays. All the better that the display performs well given that the T700 is also marketed as a portable photo viewing solution.

Otherwise, basic specs for the T700 are conventional. A 4x, folded-optics lens delivers images to the camera's 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor – a spec carried over directly from the T300. Auto options like face detection, automatic scene recognition, and Sony's Smile Shutter automatic smile capture technology abound, and although the camera features a program mode for more in-depth shooting control as well, the assumption seems to be that most users will pull a Ronco-style "set it and forget it" maneuver and never venture much out of the default auto mode.

As luck would have it, some bleak and cold late fall weather accompanied the arrival of our T700 review unit, foiling plans to grab some initial outdoor snaps with the Cyber-shot. No matter: previous T cameras have struggled with inconsistent white balance and unpleasant noise at higher ISOs, and being stuck mostly indoors with the T700 has allowed me to grab some sample captures and form some opinions regarding these crucial performance areas for the new model.

While there seem to be some incremental improvements, first impressions of the T700 are that as a camera, very little has changed from previous T cameras: what I liked about models like the T200 is still here, but much of what I disliked about the overall concept has yet to be addressed. However, four gigabytes of internal storage and a software system for returning screen-res images to the T700 – allowing the camera to store display versions of tens of thousands of shots – take the T series's "portable digital library" concept to a new level. And for many potential buyers, the T700's capabilities as a portable multimedia player may be at least as important as its potential as a camera.

To this end, I'm only just beginning to explore the T700's portable photo viewer functions as enabled through its PC Sync software package. While the general opinion around here is that the T700 will need to make some advances in the picture-taking arena compared to previous T models to earn our wholehearted recommendation, the idea of being able to take your entire photo library with you in your pocket – and show off shots to friends and family on the camera's very nice screen or an external TV/monitor – deserves consideration on its own. While it won't likely suit the file portability needs of professionals or serious amateurs, the T700 appears to do a lot of what much more expensive photo storage/viewer systems do at a fraction of the cost – plus you get an ultracompact camera as well at no extra charge.

Read More......

Nikon Coolpix S60 (pink)

Nikon Coolpix S60 (pink)

The good: Optical image stabilization; 3.5-inch touch-screen LCD; pretty; fun features.

The bad: Comparatively slow interface; relatively slow for its class; soft images; all but the power and shutter are touch-screen controlled.

The bottom line: Fun features and chic styling make the Nikon Coolpix S60 a tasty choice for casual point-and-shoot use. However, if you need speed or snapshot perfection, this isn't your camera.

Specifications: Digital camera type: Ultracompact; Resolution: 10 megapixels; Optical zoom: 5 x;

If you're looking for a night-out-on-the-town camera--assuming said night is well lit--where superb picture quality and lightning-fast performance take a back seat to looking good and having fun, then the 10-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S60 may slip nicely into your lifestyle. File the S60 in the "ooh-ahh" category of ultracompacts: its high-gloss metallic finish comes in six colors, with chrome accents, a metal wave body design, and a 3.5-inch touch panel covering its backside in glassy glory.

I'm sure that screen adds some weight to the 5.7-ounce body, too. It just barely classifies as an ultracompact, with dimensions of 0.9 inch deep by 2.4 inches high by 3.8 inches wide. The 5x f3.8-4.8 33-165mm-equivalent internally zooming lens sits in the top-left corner on front, making it very easy to put your finger in the shot.

There's no shortage of touch-screen point-and-shoot cameras around, but most of them have at least some physical controls. The Nikon Coolpix S60, however, provides the bare minimum: a power button and a shutter button. While this helps maintain the S60's fashionable look, it also means that any operation besides turning it on and taking a picture requires touching the screen, and unfortunately, the S60's interface proves that not all touch screens are created equal. Those expecting the snappiness of Apple's iPhone will be disappointed; this camera just doesn't respond as quickly. I never had any problem getting it to register my taps, either with my finger or when tapping with the included stylus, but the interface frequently lagged in the menu and setting screens. This will frustrate those who regularly change settings; those who usually just point and shoot probably won't care. Also, when playing back photos you can drag your finger across the screen to the right or left to move to another photo. Just flicking your finger across the screen a la iPhone doesn't always do the trick and will occasionally cause an image to hang or zoom instead.

However, the onscreen shooting controls are as responsive as other touch screens I've tested. Changing between shooting modes (Auto, Scene, and Video) for example is generally fast, as is selecting the flash mode, activating the timer or Smile Shutter, or switching to macro. The one thing Nikon should not have made touch controlled is the zoom. It's responsive, but can be difficult to control and it's too low on the display, making it difficult to take one-handed shots and a bit too easy to switch into the Home menu system.

Now for the fun stuff you can do with the touch screen. If the camera isn't focusing on the subject you want, simply tapping on the subject in the screen will correctly activate the autofocus and it will track the subject and adjust for proper exposure. In the Portrait or Night Portrait scene modes, a one-touch zoom icon appears, letting you quickly zoom focus from waist up to bust up to face only (depending on the distance you are from the subject). You can handwrite and draw on pictures, too, which is not new for touch-screen cameras, but amusing nonetheless and has practical uses as well.

Other notable features include distortion control to correct for distortion (common with compact cameras), optical image stabilization, a rather overzealous warning that pops up if it thinks someone in the photo blinked, auto scene selection from one of seven options, in-camera contrast enhancement and perspective control, and a mini-HDMI port for connecting directly to an HDTV for slide-show playback. Absent are manual controls, with the exception of exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity--not exactly surprising, given the target user.

The S60's performs adequately, but lags in its class. It takes 0.6 second to focus and shoot in bright conditions and 1 second in dim light. Shot-to-shot time falls slightly below average at 2 seconds, but turning on the flash added only 0.2 second to the wait. In burst mode, it captured 1.3 frames per second, which isn't great, but I was able to get some impressive action shots all things considered. The only real downer is its 2.4-second time from power on to first shot.

Photo quality is mixed. The photos can be good to very good in well-lit conditions. On one hand, it exhibits accurate color and exposure. In outdoor shots, colors are very good and natural. Indoors, as with many cameras, the auto white balance produces overly warm results; I recommend either using the camera's manual white balance or the appropriate preset.

However, the lens isn't very good. In addition to overall soft photos, there's quite a bit of pincushion distortion, making the distortion control setting pretty much mandatory (though it's not the default). And while noise is acceptable and fairly typical for its class up to and including ISO 200, at ISO 400 it looks like Nikon simply throws a strong blur across the photo and it gets progressively worse from there. Video quality was typical of its class: 30fps VGA good for Web use, but not much else, and you can't zoom while shooting.

There's no denying the Nikon Coolpix S60 is a hot camera design. It would be great if the touch-screen interface was a little snappier in areas and a physical zoom rocker or at least moving the onscreen one higher on the display would be welcomed. Finicky snapshooters will definitely find menu navigation frustrating and the photos not up to par with its price; if you fall into that category, look at our list of best compact cameras for better options. But if you're itching for a stylish pocket/purse camera for casual use, the S60 is just that.

Read More......

Canon PowerShot E1

Canon PowerShot E1

"Toy-Like Compact Camera From Canon"

It seems that Canon has gone retro with the launch of its new E-series range of digital compact cameras. This compact shooter comes in three colours (blue, pink, and white), has similar features to the A1000 IS, and even sports the same price tag. But how it all stacks up is a different thing altogether.

The PowerShot E1 is mostly made out of plastic, making it look like a child's "my first" camera. Sure, it's hard plastic, but the make of the unit is too 'Mickey Mouse' for our tastes.

The camera is small and compact, with the unit sporting a 10-megapixel sensor, 4x zoom lens with image stabiliser, face detection technology, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, an optical viewfinder, motion detection technology, an ‘Easy' shooting mode, and movie capture (30 fps/VGA).

The package contains two AA batteries, a 32MB memory card, a wrist strap, a mini-USB to AV cable, a mini-USB to USB cable, and Canon's "Digital Camera Solution" CD.

Users can find the Power button, Mode Dial, Shutter Button, and Zoom Lever on top of the unit, while the Tripod Socket and Memory Card/Battery Compartment are located at the bottom of the device. The unit's 2.5-inch screen, Viewfinder, Playback Button, Face Select Button, Print Share Button, Disp. Button, Menu Button, and Navigation keys that have secondary functions (ISO, Macro/Infinity, Timer and Continuous Shot, Flash, and Function Set) are found at the unit's rear.

It runs on two AA batteries, which do not lock into place so make sure you turn the unit around before swapping the memory card. The 32MB card can only hold 6 high-resolution shots (maximum resolution with unit set to superfine), so we recommend users to purchase a memory card (SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCPlus, HC MMCPlus) with a higher storage capacity.

The E1 comes with 10 shooting modes (Video Mode, Scene Mode [Night, Sunset, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, and ISO3200], Indoor, Kids and Pets, Night Snapshot, Landscape, Portrait, Easy, Auto, and Program mode) in order to take the best possible shot in any situation.

The unit's Program mode will give you total control of your camera as it comes with various options like Exposure Compensation, Long Shutter Mode, White Balance, Centre-weighted and Spot metering, and ISO settings up to ISO 1600.

While the E1 was able to instantly change modes, we had problems with the flash recycle time. It would take the camera at least four seconds before being able to take another shot. Photos have good resolution, although noise was visible at ISO 200. Smearing was also a problem, making it difficult for us to take highly detailed shots. The unit however, was still able to produce noteworthy night shots and shoot videos without any major slowdown in the frame rate.

Photos can be transferred via USB or card reader, but can also be printed using PictBridge, which negates the need for a PC. Users would only have to connect the camera to any Pictbridge-compliant printer, select the image to be printed, and press the PictBridge icon on the unit (located below the playback button) to print.

The Canon PowerShot E1 is a fairly decent camera for those who dare to be different. The colour choices, build, and form factor may appeal to kids and teens (and maybe even young adults), but it just feels cheap and flimsy for our taste. The unit is available now and has an RRP of $249, the same as the recently reviewed PowerShot A1000 IS.

See page over for product specification and final rating.

Canon PowerShot E1 Digital Camera Specifications:

Effective Number of Pixels: 10.0 MP
Processor: DiG!C III

Lens:
Focal Length (optical): 6.2 (W) - 24.8 (T) mm
35mm film equivalent: 35 (W) - 140 (T) mm
f/number: f/2.7 - f/7.6 (W), f/5.6 - f/16.0 (T)
Shutter Speed : 15 - 1/1600 sec.
Zoom: Approx. 4x

Focusing / Range:
AF System: TTL Autofocus
Focusing Frame: Face detect / 9-point AiAF / 1-point AF (fixed: centre)
Range: Normal: 50cm - infinity, Macro: 3cm - 50cm (W), 30cm - 50cm (T)

LCD Monitor:
Viewfinder: Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
LCD Monitor: 2.5 inch TFT colour LCD

Flash:
Flash Modes: Auto/On/Off/Slow-synchro/Auto Red-eye Correction/Red-eye reduction is available
Flash Range : Normal: 30 cm - 4 m (W) / 30 cm - 2 m (T),

Recording Pixels:
Still Images (Large): 3648 x 2736
Continuous Shooting (Large/Fine): Approx 1.4 shots/sec
Movie Recording (Large) : 640 x 480, 30fps
Self-timer: Approx. 10 sec or 2 sec delay, or custom.

Memory Storage: SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory card / Multimedia Card / MMC Plus Card / HC MMC Plus Card
Supplied Memory: 32MB SD Card

General Features:
Battery: Size AA Alkaline battery (x2) or Size AA rechargeable NiMH battery (x2) NB4-300/NB4-200

Optional Charger/AC Adaptor: AC Adaptor Kit ACK800 (contains CA-PS800)

Dimensions (W x D x H): 101.2 x 63.8 x 31.4 mm (ex. protruding parts)
Weight: 160g

------------------------------------
Canon PowerShot E1 | $249 | XXX.5 | www.canon.com.au

F or: Easy to use; Good value for money; Easy battery replacement
Against: Plastic construction; Slow flash recycle; Smearing and noise issues
Conclusion: Good for children, not recommended for aspiring photographers

Read More......

Canon Powershot E1 Review

Canon Powershot E1 Review

The Canon PowerShot has a new addition in its popular line, the E1. This digital camera represents the starting point for their new sub-range. These new camera’s have been designed by women, for women.

What makes these so appealing to women, is their curvaceous design as well as their funky colors, in pink, white and cyan. The Cano E1 has 10-megapixel and a 4 x optical zoom, complete with optical image stabilization.

The Canon PowerShot E1 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen as well as an optical viewfinder, which I find pointless. There are a number of cool features on the E1, like Face Detection, Infinity Focus, 17 shooting modes, Macro mode, and much more.

Read More......

Polaroid 2.0: Not as groovy as the original but still fun

Polaroid 2.0: Not as groovy as the original but still fun

Ask your parents, and they'll probably tell you Polaroid cameras were the iPhone of their day. I'm not that old, but I still remember them being all the rage when I was growing up because you could see your snapshots almost instantaneously. Thank goodness for the digital camera though, because no matter how awesome Polaroids were, the quality of those photos was just terrible.

The good news for Polaroid fans is the company is trying to bring back the instant photo experience. Its most recent attempt was the PoGo Instant Mobile Printer which uses Bluetooth to print out 2x3-inch photos taken with your cell phone. The problem with this device is price, and unlike a real Polaroid camera, the PoGo printer doesn't include a camera. In contrast, a similar device that uses Zink's technology and comes with a built-in digital camera was just announced in Japan. This is exactly what I was waiting for.

Aimed at young people, the Tomy xiao TIP-521 is a five-megapixel camera with a built-in full color Zink printer. Xiao, like PoGo, can print 2x3-inch color photos, and features an IrDA receiver so you can print photos sent from other IrDA devices.

Other features include a 2.48-inch LCD screen, 16MB of internal memory, 4x digital zoom, infrared port, and memory card slot that supports SD and SDHC cards. The great thing is this printer doesn't use ink, but you do have to buy special Zink paper which is usually pretty expensive.

The xiao will be launched in Japan on November 28 and in America sometime in May according to Crunchgear. The starting price is $320, and you get to choose from pink, black, and blue.

Read More......

Sony Cybershot DSC-T700

Sony Cybershot DSC-T700

With great image-sharing options, 4GB of internal memory, and fun extras, this pricey camera is a great option for the design-conscious.

A trendsetter in digital cameras, Sony takes design to new heights with its 10.1-megapixel Cyber-shot T700. The main innovation with this good-looking touch-screen camera

is its 4GB of on-board storage, as well as a few other features that may be irresistible despite the camera's $400 price tag.

Making up somewhat for its high price, the T700 has 4GB of internal flash memory, as well as the usual Memory Stick slot. If you use both the internal memory and a 16GB Memory Stick (the highest capacity currently available), you get a hefty 20GB of storage inside this camera, without having to swap out cards.

The T700 also sports the highest-resolution LCD in its class. In fact, at 3.5 inches diagonally, it very nearly constitutes the entire back of the camera. Aside from the power and shutter buttons, the touch screen contains all of the camera's controls. The unit is slim and compact, too, measuring a little over a half-inch in depth and weighing a slightly heavy 5.6 ounces.

On the exterior, this camera looks cool. The T700 has a brushed-metal finish that comes in several colors (red, pink, silver, and gray). Our test unit was gray, and out of the box its iridescence was mesmerizing: Tip it one way, it takes on a violet sheen; another direction, it becomes a slight pink or blue. It also has a neat sliding cover that's an attractive and functional design choice.

Sony's menu system is intuitive, and I had the camera up and running in no time at all. You can elect to view a simplified on-screen menu, which offers greater breadth for composing images, or you can see more information on your settings (including histograms, if you're technically inclined).

The camera also has some editing and playback capabilities that are, I have to admit, very fun to use. You can add effects such as star filters, fisheye, and the typical black-and-white or sepia, and you can even paint right onto your pictures using the stylus. The slide-show feature kept me entertained for a long time. It's highly customizable, with cool transition effects and music; you can add your own MP3s, too, which makes all that on-board storage even handier.

In practical use, though, the combo of the internal memory and a Memory Stick wasn't as convenient as I'd hoped it would be. In effect, you can't use both at the same time. You can use the T700 while the Memory Stick is in place, of course, but you cannot view or access pictures stored in internal memory. But because I rarely take 4GB of shots in a day, operating on the internal memory alone--and simply moving the day's pictures to my PC later--was easy.

The lovely design of this camera presented a few minor problems in my tests. For example, the sheer size of the huge touch screen leaves little room for a grip, and someone with larger hands may find that a serious problem. The slick front of the camera doesn't give your fingers anything to grab onto, either. In addition, the position of the lens at the upper left of the camera meant that until I got used to the T700, my index finger was often part of the shot. However, the touch screen offered just the right amount of sensitivity, meaning I could use my fingertip or the stylus (which stows away inside the camera) equally well. Also, my grip on the camera never accidentally set off any features.

Another drawback: The big touch screen takes a toll on the T700's battery life. In the PC World Test Center's battery test, the camera lasted through just 201 shots on a single charge. That's enough for a Good battery rating, but it falls well short of the 250-to-300-shot battery life of many other point-and-shoot cameras we've tested.

Picture quality on the T700 was reasonably good; in the PC World Test Center's jury testing, the camera's images earned a score of Very Good, with its strengths being color accuracy and overall image quality. Its glaring weakness was sharpness, and in my hands-on tests I too found soft focus to be an ongoing problem at the 4X end of the optical zoom.

The T700 handled color, contrast, and saturation well in my test shots. This camera incorporates Sony's Bionz processor, which may alleviate some of the overprocessing that I've observed with previous, lower-end Sony models. The T700 responded quickly to focus, shoot, and write to the internal memory. My daylight snapshots looked good, reasonably sharp, and exposed properly. On the other hand, in low-light situations, especially at higher ISOs, this camera stumbled a bit, even after I set it to ISO 200.

The T700 offers an "intelligent scene" option, which takes two shots at once; the first uses your own settings, and the extra shot uses settings that the camera determines may be superior to your choices. Cool as the feature sounds, I thought the results were spotty, particularly in low light.

In general the camera's other modes--macro, metering, nighttime, beach/snow, smile detection (which snaps a shot when a selected subject in the frame smiles), and even blink detection (which warns you when someone in the shot has their eyes closed)--worked well. Its video mode, while not in HD, allows for zooming. That was enough for my usual habits, and certainly good enough for YouTube.

Sony includes Picture Motion Browser desktop software, which lets you export images to your PC, resize them at VGA resolution, and reimport them to the camera. Why would you want to do that? Because it lets you include up to 40,000 snapshots (in the T700's internal memory) in the T700's great-looking slide shows. The app also allows easy uploads to image-sharing sites and YouTube.

The $400 price tag may make potential buyers shy away from the T700, but this great-looking camera offers enough features--most of which are flat-out fun--to merit serious consideration.

Read More......

Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 (pink)

Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 (pink)

The Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 is a 10.1-megapixel, ultra-compact camera.Compared to other ultra-compact digital cameras on the market, it is midpriced at around $220.

Specifications: Digital camera type: Ultracompact; Resolution: 10.1 megapixels; Optical zoom: 3 x

Description: The Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 is a 10.1-megapixel, ultra-compact camera.Compared to other ultra-compact digital cameras on the market, it is midpriced at around $220.

Pros: Has a 10.1-megapixel resolution, which is considerably higher than some similarly priced digital cameras.Also, this digital camera has a 2.6 inch viewscreen, which is larger than some similarly priced digital cameras.Weighing only 4.5 ounces without battery or media, this digital camera is very light for a compact camera.

Cons: None noted, given available product data.

Suitability: An ultra-compact digital camera, suited for everyday snapshot photography.A recommended use, based on key features, is semi-professional photography.The largest recommended print size, estimated from the camera's resolution, is 12x16 or larger.

Value: Overall, this digital camera's features are as expected for this price.

Suggestions: For more help in deciding if this is the best digital camera for you, visit the buying guide for digital cameras at CNET Reviews.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs, contact us.

Read More......