Digital Camera Blog

The Nikon D40 was announced just in time for the holiday buying season. Nikon??™s goal with the D40 was to introduce an affordable digital SLR that is easy to use and compact to address a couple of the reasons why people decide against buying a digital SLR. The D40 features a 6.1 megapixel DX format sensor, a 2.5 inch LCD with a nice graphical user interface, and it comes as a kit with an 18-55mm lens for under $600.

Since this is a digital SLR, you get a true optical viewfinder. The viewfinder is actually very nice and bright. A diopter adjustment is available so that the focus point marks and information in the viewfinder are sharp. The viewfinder covers about 95% of the actual captured image. While shooting, camera settings (focus, metering, exposure compensation, aperture, shutter speed, etc) are very visible in green text and symbols below the frame.
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Olympus has a couple “worlds first” claims to make with their newly announced SP-550 UZ. It is the world’s first 18x optical zoom camera and has the world’s fastest sequential shooting (at a lower resolution though). Not only does the camera’s lens reach out to a 35mm equivalent of 504mm, it can do a wide angle of 28mm (35mm equivalent) and macro shots as close as 1cm. The Olympus SP-550 UZ also features 7.1 megapixel capture resolution, a 2.5 inch LCD, and dual image stabilization. It will be available in March 2007 for $499.

The feature of the SP-550 that is most likely to grab headlines is the f2.8-4.5, 18x optical zoom lens, which blows away the current 12x zoom offerings in the point and shoot, ultra-zoom field. They’ve also managed to allow the long lens to take 28mm wide angle shots and macro shots as close as 1cm. The other very important feature, to help out with blurriness from camera shake, is the dual image stabilization. The SP-550 UZ will utilize a sensor-shifting image stabilization system to counteract camera movement, and high ISO digital image stabilization to counteract subject movement.
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Today, Olympus has announced two additions to its Stylus line of digital cameras. The weatherproof Olympus Stylus 760 offers 7.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom, a 2.5 inch LCD and dual image stabilization. The Olympus Stylus 770 SW is shockproof, waterproof (now to 33 feet), and crushproof with a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 inch LCD and LED illuminator. The Stylus 760 will be available in February for $249 and the Stylus 770SW will be available in March for $379.
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Olympus has updated its entry level FE line of digital cameras with four new models. The FE-210, FE-230, FE-240, and FE-250 will be available in February with prices ranging from $149 to $299. Ease of use and slim, sturdy metal bodies pretty much define the FE line and the new models represent, with bodies as slim as 0.6 inches.

All four of new cameras feature 2.5 inch screens, a built in help guide, digital image stabilization, and several preset shooting modes. With the exception of the FE-210, the new cameras also have Olympus’ Bright Capture technology, a first in this FE line.

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Pentax has announced the Optio T30 and Optio M30 digital cameras to succeed the T20 and M20 (respectively). Both new cameras features a new facial recognition feature to provide accurate auto focus and auto exposure on the faces in your frame. The Optio T30 sports a 3 inch, touch screen LCD in a very slim form factor. The Optio M30 features a redesigned, ultra-slim body. Both cameras will be available in March with the T30 for $350 and the M30 will be available for $200.
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The Nikon Coolpix S7c was announced back in August, along with the S9 and S10. The S7c stood out from its brethren because it looked different and Nikon was really working the ???style??? edge just a bit more with this camera, announcing limited edition cases ready for the holiday buying season. Besides its nice looks, the camera takes 7.1 megapixel images, has a 3x optical zoom, electronic vibration reduction and a very large 3 inch LCD. If that??™s not enough, Nikon tossed in a wireless radio and a year subscription to T-Mobile Hotspots so you can send pictures to your friends via the Coolpix Connect service.
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Canon has announced two new cameras for it’s consumer-friendly A line of digital cameras. The Canon Powershot A550 and Powershot A460 are follow ups to the A530 and A430, respectively. Canon has bumped up the resolution as well as working on making the controls more intuitive to use. For example, the A550 gets a redesigned mode dial that provides quick access to the most common scene modes. Both models will be available in February. The A550 will retail for $199 and the A460 will retail for $149.

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Today, Sony has announced four new entry level digital cameras, the Cyber-shots DSC-W55, DSC-W35, DSC-S700, and DSC-S650. The entire quartet can capture 7.2 megapixel images and will range from $150 to $200 when they hit the market in February and March.

I mentioned in my CES wrap-up that it seems as if the “magic” price point for entry level cameras this year is $150. Sony is backing me up on this one. The cheapest model announced (the S650) has a pretty nice spec sheet - nice resolution, a typical zoom lens, and decent performance (at least on paper). The metal bodies on all of these cameras are a great touch since they add about $50-100 to the “feel” of the camera.
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HP??s latest All-In-One device, the $99 PSC 1510, and I got off on the wrong foot. I faithfully followed all instructions, yet found myself sitting on the floor for 20 minutes, trying to find a way to insert the two ink cartridges. I was about to give up when the device shifted its insides so that finally in they went. I have used many printers in my life and wondered if this was my fault or HP’s. The printer then refused to produce a print cartridge alignment sheet the instructions said it would, and only did so after I turned the printer on and off several times. Now I had to scan that sheet and wait until the ON light stopped blinking, which it eventually did. Quite involved.
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A few years back Canon??™s design team responded to a major challenge; create a basic, inexpensive, easy to use, high performance digital camera that would appeal to a broad market demographic. The result was Canon??™s ???A??? series; a group of digicams that adopted features and technology from Canon??™s upscale ???S??? and ???G??? series models and packaged them in a practical and rather dowdy uni-body. ???A??? series digital cameras have provided very good performance, superb ergonomics, best-in-class functionality and usability, tough as nails durability, and reliably excellent image quality since the introduction of the groundbreaking little A20 in 2001. The new A710 IS is the first ???A??? model to feature optical image stabilization (OIS).

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