Nikon slides out S52 and WiFi-friendly S52c

Nikon is fleshing out its "Style Series" of shooters with the COOLPIX S52 and S52c (pictured) compact cameras. The two cameras are pretty much spec-for-spec identical other than the WiFi capabilities of the S52c which allow it to upload shots wirelessly to services like Flickr or Nikon's own "my Picturetown." Otherwise you're looking at a pair of fairly standard compacts, with 9 megapixel sensors, 3x zoom, optical image stabilization and so forth. Both will be available in May, with the S52 retailing for $250, and the S52c arriving at $280.

Digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras

Sony showcased two new entry-level digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, Alpha 200 (left) and Alpha 350 (right) in Tokyo, Friday. The Alpha 350 features quick auto-focus and live-view functions, along with an adjustable LCD screen. The device will retail in March at about 90,000 yen (Rs 34,000 approx). The Alpha 200, on the other hand, will be available in mid-February for a price of around 60,000 yen, Rs 22,000 and $550.

Jobo announces Photo GPS camera

Jobo's Photo GPS camera add-on since it was announced around the time of last year's PMA show, and it now looks like that's been for good reason, as the company's apparently decided to have another go at this whole "product launch" thing at this year's PMA. From the looks of it, however, not much has changed with the device itself in the ensuing months, with it still promising to attach to your camera's flash hot shoe and record GPS information as you shoot, and squeeze all that data into your images' EXIF metadata (or XML file in the case of RAW images) when you sync it up. Assuming things don't change any further, you can now apparently look for the unit to hit "mid-year," when it'll set you back $159.

Sigma's APO 200-500 F2.8 telephoto lens

Sigma's new APO 200-500 f2.8 ultra telephoto zoom lens. Weighing 16kg (35-pounds), it's the world's first to offer a F2.8 aperture at 500mm focal length. A dedicated F5.6 attachment ensures autofocusing at 1000mm while an internal Li-ion battery powers the zooming and AF mechanics. Available for Sigma and Nikon mounts in June or Canons in April for ¥2,500,000 or nearly $25,000.

Nikon announces D60 and lenses

Nikon DSLR isn't full-frame either, but their new low-ender is now (officially) the D60, which enters the scene with a 10.2 megapixel sensor, 2.5-inch LCD (nope, not live-view), SDHC, vibration sensor cleaning, and an even smaller body than the D40x. Nikon claims February

Images of Pentax's K200D DSLR surface?

Pentax could be readying a pair of new DSLRs, and now it seems that we've been blessed with a plethora of shots of the K200D. 'Course, we suppose they could be doctored, but we just don't believe someone would spend that much time working up Pentax fakes, ya know? Regardless, feel free to hit the read link and check out what's probably the outfit's next shooter -- or some mighty fine 'shops, worst case scenario.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S730 compact Digital Camera

The Sony Cybershot S730 lets you grab clear, blur-free pictures without the aid of flash if you’re shooting in low light or on cloudy days. Selecting ‘High Sensitivity’ mode on the easy-to-adjust mode dial boosts sensitivity to ISO 1250. This allows shooting at faster shutter speeds to reduce the risk of camera shake, even with moving subjects. A new multi-point autofocus mode ensures pin-sharp images, even when your subject is moving or isn’t in the centre of the frame.Pictures and camera settings can be viewed clearly on the large 2.4-inch screen. Touching a button switches instantly to Playback mode, making it quick and easy to check pictures during shooting. There’s also an on-screen Histogram mode that displays image brightness in graphical form - useful if you’re fine-tuning exposure settings for the best possible results.Sony CyberShot DSC-S730 Camera functions
Even if you’re new to digital photography, the Sony CyberShot S730 guides you with a handy display of functions like flash, macro and self-timer settings. There’s also on-screen advice to help you select the right settings for your chosen subject as selected with the Shooting Mode dial. The Sony DSC-S730 digital camera can even help beginners pick the optimum image size for shooting, depending on your preferred printing paper size and the amount of memory space remaining.

Sony CyberShot S730 Specifications
• 7.2 effective megapixels
• 2.4-inch LCD screen with wide viewing angle
• High Sensitivity ISO 1250 for reduced camera shake
• Easy-to-use on-screen function guide
• 3x optical zoom lens

Nikon D80 - The Best dSLR of The New Year

The Nikon D80 has excellent color rendition and noise levels, has a large feature set, is highly customizable and has lightning-fast performance.

The camera body is technically slightly smaller in all dimensions compared to those of the D70s, but current owners will find the design very similar. Most of the buttons are the same and in the same places, and there are dedicated buttons for many commonly used functions.

Nikon's menu system is straightforward and, for the most part, intuitive. An option in the setup menu lets you hide some of the menu items by either selecting Nikon's preshortened Simple menu, which displays only what Nikon thinks are the most commonly changed menu items, or My Menu, which lets you choose which items the camera displays in each of the playback, shooting, custom setting, and retouch menus.

Performance was among the fastest we've seen so far. Image quality from the Nikon D80 is quite impressive. Colors were accurate and neutral and the camera's meter did an excellent job of reading the scene and providing an accurate exposure.

With the D80, Nikon has proven that it is very much still pushing ahead strongly. With 10.2 megapixels, lightning-fast performance, high-quality images with very low noise, and a heaping pile of convenience features, Nikon's D80 will not disappoint.

Specifications:

* Product Type : Digital camera - SLR
* Weight: 20.6 oz
* Resolution: 10.2 megapixels
* Sensor resolution: 10.2 megapixels
* Optical Sensor Type: CCD
* Effective Sensor Resolution: 10,200,000 pixels
* Total Pixels: 10,750,000 pixels
* Light Sensitivity: ISO 100-1600
* Shooting Programs: Close-up, Landscape, Sports mode, Portrait mode, Night portrait, Night landscape
* Max Shutter Speed: 1/4000 sec
* Min Shutter Speed: 30 sec
* Exposure Metering: Spot, 3D color matrix, Center-weighted
* Exposure Modes: Bulb, Manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, I-TTL program flash
* Still Image Format: JPEG, NEF (RAW), RAW + JPEG
* Continuous Shooting Speed: 3 frames per second
* Image Storage: JPEG, RAW 3872 x 2592, 2896 x 1944, 1936 x 1296
* Supported Flash Memory: MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
* Lens Type: Autofocus
* Lens System Mounting: Nikon F
* Flash Type: Pop-up flash
* Flash Modes: Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
* Red Eye Reduction: Yes
* Display Type: LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
* Connector Type: 1 x Composite video output, 1 x USB, 1 x Remote control, 1 x DC power input
* Cables Included: Video cable, USB cable
* Power Device: Battery charger - External

JVC's GD-D850 camcorder with man-sized 35x zoom

The budget GD-D850 DV camcorder from JVC. This "Baby Movie" cam features a 2.7-inch LCD with auto-adjusting brightness, 16:9 or 4:3 NTSC recordings, and the ability to capture your little Poopie Puddles in as little as 1-lux of light without the eerie, green glow of a spoiled debutante. It also features a 35x optical zoom for peeping things you probably shouldn't. Expected to hit Japanese retail priced at ¥45,000 (about $397) in January -- then the US quickly thereafter we presume.

BenQ's DC-X835 sneaky 8 megapixel anti shaker

BenQ is back with another digital snapper ready for action during the holidays. At least we think so -- no price or availability were announced. Nevertheless, the DC-X835 is an 8 megapixel version of their DC-X735 slimster. As such, you're looking at a 3x smc Pentax optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, and a "unique" Super Shake Free mode. So unique they can't tell us whether it's optical, mechanical, digital, or what. VGA video in MPEG-4 at 30fps in a 12.5~14.7-mm thin take anywhere camera with SDHC storage closes things out.

Delkin's "world's fastest" 16GB UDMA CF Pro card

The "world's fastest" 16GB UDMA CompactFlash PRO card from Delkin. Best suited for use in your UDMA capable Canon 1Ds Mark III or D300 and D3x from Nikon, the $400 CF Pro card busts a 305x read/write speed (45MB/sec sustained). For those keeping track, that's a non-noticeable bump from the previous 300x record -- but so it goes in the diffident world of the product marketeer. The cards work with non-UDMA shooters too, and make for lickity-quick RAW image transfers to your PC when using UDMA-capable card readers. Available now, as in today.

Ricoh's new Caplio RR770 sports 3-inch LCD Camera

Ricoh has just introduced the new Caplio RR770, a model barely distinguishable from the now two-generations-old RR730. Just as the move from the 730 to the RR750 brought with it little more than a minor resolution bump, the 7.16 megapixel RR770 improves upon its predecessor by simply upgrading the LCD to a 3-incher -- but retaining the ho hum 3x optical zoom and limited scene selections of Caplios past. Price and release are currently shrouded in mystery, but don't expect to spend much more than $250 on this unremarkable shooter.

Samsung's VP-HMX10A HD Camcorder

Samsung's VP-HMX10A camcorder is now on sale. No, not in North America or Europe, but S.Korea-only at the moment.(about $870) nabs this 720p recorder with 2.7-inch LCD and 4GB of internal flash storage for all your H.264 recordings (SD expansion for more) in a 310-gram barrel. With any luck these will go global on the quick.

Sanyo's Xacti VPC-HD1000 camcorder gets Review

Sanyo's line of Xacti camcorders have traditionally looked mighty fine on paper, but for one reason or another, expectations haven't exactly been met on the previous iterations. The firm's latest pistol-grip device yet again looked superb at a glance, but TrustedReviews found that the VPC-HD1000 still wasn't able to live up to its claims. On the upside, reviewers found the design to be "much improved," and the Full HD recording abilities were drooled over as well. Still, the crew couldn't help but be disappointed in the paltry four-megapixel CMOS sensor, and while it did perform "better than its predecessors" as a camcorder, the optical zoom was tagged as "slow," colors seemed slightly oversaturated and you'll still need "plenty of light" in order to get halfway decent results. Furthermore, it was noted that quick changes in scenery caused noticeable pixilation, and shooting in low-light introduced "a lot" of grain. Overall, the HD1000 wasn't totally slammed nor lifted up on a pedestal, but we'd probably hold off on this unless you're cool with a "jack of two trades, but master of neither.

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-T2 Review

Sony's new Cyber-shot DSC-T2 up, and the verdict seems to be "well above average," with a 7.4 score. The case is bit of the podgy side, although if you don't mind that it's well designed otherwise with a hefty lens protector taking up the front and a large 2.7-inch touchscreen taking up the back. That touchscreen has problems, with the review pointing to responsiveness issues. The 4GB internal storage is also nice, but the ridiculous proprietary cable means if you lose the one in the box during your vacay, you're screwed. Image quality and performance is nothing to go crazy over, and you'll probably be happy with it if you've used an equivalently priced digicam recently. Overall, the flaws in the integrated storage and the touchscreen mean this is a bit of a letdown. Go for the T200 instead.

Green House's Gaudi Cam

Green House isn't right for someone. The Gaudi sports an SD card slot for capturing your VGA video, QVGA video and 5 megapixel stills, with a 1.7-inch screen to preview it all. Gaudi maxes out on 2GB SD cards, and there's nothing fancy happening in codec land: video is recorded in AVI. That said, this thing goes for a mere 13,800 Yen ($125 US), so if you're in Japan and need a nice "disposable" tourist-cam... well, you could probably just use your phone and save on the bulk, so forget the whole deal.

EDGE Tech 12-inch digital photo frame

Digiframes are going to be relatively hot this holiday season, but maybe the sudden rash of offerings are just coincidentally launching weeks before Black Friday. Regardless of the reasons, EDGE Tech is hitting us up with a 12-inch version of its own, which features a decent 800 x 600 resolution, USB connectivity, support for AVI, BMP, JPEG, MPEG1/2/4, WAV and WMA files, and flash card inputs that play nice with SD, MMC, Memory Stick, MS Pro, CompactFlash and Microdrive. It shouldn't shock you to hear that this piece also handles automatic slideshows and can even sing back via the integrated stereo speakers, and while there's no option for WiFi here, it'll only run you $129.95 after rebate.

Hitachi's DZ-BD7HA Blu-ray / 30GB HDD hybrid camcorder

Hitachi's "world's first Blu-ray camcorder," this thing should be sent straight back to R&D. Truth be told, it's not that often that we see a review this harsh, but we understand the need to be particularly critical when pondering a $1,600 purchase. Nevertheless, the DZ-BD7HA was essentially thrashed from top to bottom save for its stylish design and satisfactory outdoor shooting performance.. Testing revealed abysmal results when it was used in even the brightest of low-light situations, and the lackluster manual controls, omitted optical image stabilization (it opts for electronic IS) and a dreadful auto response system pretty much eliminated any shot at redemption. Honestly, repeatedly hearing about its "terrible image quality" throughout the review would be enough to scare away most, but if you just can't believe things are that bad, hit the read link and judge for yourself.

Eye-Fi WiFi-enabled SD card

Eye-Fi to bring its self-titled wireless SD card to market, but on the plus side, that Benjamin now gets you 2GB of storage -- a welcome boost for a rumored capacity that had dipped as low as 512MB. In case the past 18 months have made the details a little fuzzy, this 802.11g card requires a one-time setup on your PC before it's ready to automatically upload full resolution pics to one of 17 websites each time you turn on your camera. Even better, a backup copy is also sent to your PC, ensuring that your photos are safely archived when your favorite social network folds.

Fujifilm's FinePix F50fd point-and-shoot

FinePix F50fd seems to be true according to a recent review over at PhotographyBLOG, anyway. Apparently, stuffing a 12-megapixel sensor into this pocket-friendly digicam wasn't exactly the most intelligent idea, as reviewers found the picture quality to be downright disappointing. Particularly in low-light situations, the camera faltered mightily, and images captured at ISO speeds of 800 - 6,400 were deemed practically "unusable." Granted, the crew did note that it was expecting tremendous results from the highly-regarded F31fd's successor, but aside from the "excellent face detection system" and the included aperture / shutter priority modes, there just wasn't much here to fall ins love with.