| A Look Back At The Future Of Electronics
I have a professional photographer friend who spent $25,000 for a digital camera back in the 90s. Now you can get great pro-sumer cameras for under $800. At CES, Sony debuted its $699 Alpha DSLR-A100. Like the Canon EOS Rebel XTi and the Nikon D40, this is a full featured camera with interchangeable lenses sold as a kit with a starter lens. The new Sony camera features a 10 megapixel sensor, the ability to take up to 3 frames per second and the support for ISOs ranging from 100 to 3,200. What that all adds up to is a camera that can perform well in a variety of lighting conditions. Also, like the competition, it has image stabilization which compensates for our shaky hands, especially when using a long zoom.
Casio introduced one of the most innovative cameras at show. It isnt an SLR, but the new Exilim Pro EX-F1 has a 12X optical zoom and what Casio says is the worlds fastest burst shooting performance.
Got a great photo of a fuzzy, furry or feathered friend?
The Oregon Humane Society is looking for great pictures of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, horses and other pets for its 17th annual Fuzzy, Furry and Feathered Friends Photo Contest. The contest is open until May 31, 2008. Winners will see photos of their pets published in the full-color OHS Magazine and will also receive great prizes from Pro Photo Supply and Canon. Prizes will be awarded for the best photos in the following categories: Top Dog, Top Cat, Top Other Animal (rabbit, bird, etc.), Funniest photo, Child with Pet, Me & My Pet, Editor’s Choice, and Grand Prize. "Me & My Pet" is a new category for 2008, and focuses on adults posing with their favorite furry or feathered friend. The Grand Prize winner will receive a Canon Rebel XSi Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm lens.
Olympus SP-570UZ Digital Camera Is Like DSLR, But Not Quite
When you take a look at the spec sheet of the newly revealed SP-570UZ digital camera from Olympus, you can't help but let your jaw drop. And then you drool a little. After that, you realize that it's not really a digital SLR, but it's got enough going for it that the Olympus SP-570UZ might be a perfect solution for consumers who want a little more from their picture-takers. For starters, you'll notice that this cam comes equipped with a lens that offers 20x optical zoom, totally destroying similar offerings from Canon and Sony that only do 12x optical. It's also got a 10 megapixel sensor, dual image stabilization, face detection, shadow adjustment, and perfect shot preview. Around the back, the Olympus SP-570UZ treats you to a large 2.7-inch LCD, as well as access to a series of manual controls.
Find your Digital Rebel's inner Holga
If you love the look of pictures taken with the Holga —those cheap, plastic cameras made in China—but don't want to deal with the oh-so-last-century idea of film, check out Holgamods' Holga Body Cap. Randy Smith, the man behind Holgamods, has taken the lens off a stock Holga and grafted it onto a Canon body cap that fits all of the Canon D-SLRs, including the Digital Rebel series, the EOS 5D Digital, the new EOS 40D Digital, and even the top-of-the-line EOS-1Ds Mark III (it would probably fit any of the more modern Canon film cameras as well). The result is pure plastic goodness without the darkroom. Like the Lensbaby (another of our favorite toys), the Holga Body Cap isn't an automatic lens. You'll need to shoot in manual mode, and set the shutter speed accordingly, but it's a lot of fun, and you end up those dreamy, variable-focus images that tell everyone you're just a little bit off-kilter.
Canon 40D Review
The test lab over at our review partner Digital Trends published a review of the Canon 40D Review SLR Camera. The Canon EOS 40D scored an Editor's Choice Award.
Quote from the review: "Late last year Canon released the EOS 40D, a 10-megapixel D-SLR targeted to serious photographers since it costs north of $1,000 USD for the body alone. Add a few lenses and accessories, the next thing you know youve hit $2K.
This camera is targeted for anyone looking at the older 10-megapixel Nikon D80 or the newer 12.2MP Sony alpha DSLR-A700, a camera I liked a great deal. In other words, its for those more than willing to go beyond Auto and make the most of a sophisticated imaging capture device (a.k.a camera)."
Read the full Canon 40D Review.
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High-def camcorders go small and light at CES
If weight is a concern for you, Sanyo's new Xacti HD1000 could be what you're seeking in a camcorder. It weighs just 9.5 ounces and has a total volume of only 16.6 cubic inches, which the company says makes it the world's smallest and lightest digital camcorder capable of Full HD recording (1,920 horizontal and 1,080 vertical pixels). How do they do it? If you've been following along, you already know: with an 8GB SDHC memory card. A word from a memory maker The majority of the camcorders that drew the most attention at CES were able to shrink because of the use of flash memory, either built in or taking the form of removable SD media. But not just any SD media. .
Samsung Releases Stylish Horizontal Slider With Full QWERTY Keyboard ...
DALLAS, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) today announced the availability of the SCH-i760, a full QWERTY horizontal slider featuring Windows Mobile 6, with Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network. The SCH-i760 is a device for the professional user who wants a stylish, yet intelligent and robust smartphone. The SCH-i760 operates Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Professional featuring Microsoft Office Mobile applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In addition, the SCH-i760 features a touch- sensitive screen and many convenient features such as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a separate dial-pad, a stylus and WiFi capabilities. To accommodate the horizontal sliding feature of the phone, the screen automatically changes orientation to portrait and landscape views.
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