Digital Video & Photography

28 March 2006 - CameraTown reports that Olympus will be offering their "Live View" CCD display E-330 Digital SLRs in 6 different packages, from "Pro", to "Traveling Pro", "Nature Pro" and even "Underwater Pro" kits. Being a DSLR, Olympus is doing a rather bold move, since most of the other DSLRs are just sold body alone, or at most with a kit lens. With their different packages, it seems that Olympus is targeting straight at Point & Shoot upgraders, who's looking at specific packages to improve in their shooting arsenal.

3 March 2006 - If you think shelling out tens of thousands for a Vertu phone is ridiculous, try this! In line for the Oscars, Kodak made a few special cameras just for the Best Actress nominees. These special verions of the Kodak Easyshare V570, comes with studded diamonds on the housing of the camera, in the shape of the actress's initials. Each piece is valued at whopping USD$20,400! "We thought the idea of top Oscar noms getting special edition Moto PEBLs was pretty sweet. But Kodak's topped that, and proven that digicams are as worthy of bling as iPods, cellphones and laptops. The camera company is shacking up with Kwiat Diamond for a special edition EasyShare V570, which comes encrusted in 75 Kwiat diamonds in each of the Best Actress nominees' initials (we're guessing this one's Reese Witherspoon). Each is valued at $20,000 ($20,400 if you include the cost of the camera), so even if they don't win the little gold man, at least these ladies walk away with a very subtle reminder that they're rich, famous, and can still hack getting given gifts from gadget companies worth more than some people make annually."

1 March 2006 - Sony had just announced the availability of a slew of new Cybershot digital cameras. Firstly, the Sony Cybershot H2 and H5 are 2 new mega zoom models, offering 6.0 megapixel and 7.2 megapixel resolution. Outfitted with Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar that does 12x optical zoom, these new Cybershots offers SteadyShot technologies, that would prevent motion blur from camera shake. To add on, the Cybershot H2 and the H5 offers ISO1000 sensitivity, which gives that additional edge when taking pictures under low lighting conditions. To avoid noise at high ISO sensitivity, Sony introduced Clear Raw NR on both the H2 and H5, which effectively reduces noise for clearer pictures at higher ISO sensitivity. The other models added into the Cybershot family are the W30, W50, W70 and W100. The top end W100 offers 8.2 megapixel resolution, the W70 at 6.0 megapixel, and 5 megapixel for both the W30 and W50. All "W" family of Cybershot cameras comes with a 3x optical zoom, also from Carl Zeiss (Vario Tessar too). Spotting various functions like the H2 and H5, these Cybershot W cameras have functions like ISO1000 sensitivity, SteadyShot technology, and also Clear Raw NR modes. The interesting thing about the Cybershot W series: these cameras comes with internal memories, which allows picture taking even without a memory card. The W100 offers 64MB, W70 offers 58MB, W50 and W30 offering 32MB memory. 

28 February 2006 - Engadget has news about Panasonic's newest addition to it's Lumix family of digital cameras. The Lunix DMC-L1 happens to be Panasonic's first Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, allowing interchangeable lens. This new DSLR boasts of various features found on Olympus systems like it's Supersonic Wave Filter system to remove dust on the sensor, and also, live preview on the CCD. This DSLR will continue the use of Leica lenses, much alike the most other cameras from the Lumix lineup. "Well we'll be a monkey's uncle, Panasonic tapped Olympus for a little bit of the old intra-corporate synergy to help fill in that weak spot in their digital product lineup: DSLRs. Among other things, Panny's new DMC-L1 features the Venus Engine III, a 2.5-inch live LCD (like in Olympus's E-330), and a 7.5 megapixel "Live MOS" sensor, as they call it -- which sounds more or less like a CMOS, though they claim it has reduced power consumption and more CCD-like image quality. (Remember, Canon also uses CMOS sensors in their DSLRs.) Panasonic has also added Oly's Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system, which shakes dust off the sensor before it has a chance to sully the image. The DMC-L1 also includes Panasonic's image stabilization system, and continues Panny's use of Leica-branded lenses -- though in this case the lenses use Olympus's Four Thirds system. No announcement on price or release date yet, but we aren't expecting this fine motha to run us cheap."

24 October 2005 - Olympus, the industry leader in opto-digital technologies and pioneer in the digital camera market, today introduced the 7.1-megapixel SP-310 and 8.0-megapixel SP-350; both are ultra-compact models with plenty of muscle in store making them ideal high-performance choices for ambitious photographers and pros looking for a compact, lightweight solution with no sacrifice in quality. The Olympus SP-310 and SP-350 are available at all major retailers and dealers from October 2005 onwards at a recommended retail price of S$659 and S$799 respectively (inclusive of GST).

13 May 2005 - Olympus has launched 3 new products today : 1) The New Olympus Ultra Slim FE-5500 Digital Camera Comes With A Twist 2) Olympus C-170 -- A Boon To Beginners In Digital Photography 3) Olympus Introduces 1GB xD-Picture Card

3 March 2005 - Olympus, the industry leader in opto-digital technologies and pioneer in the digital camera market, today introduced the high-performance Olympus CAMEDIA C-7070 WIDE ZOOM digital camera. With its sturdy magnesium-alloy body, the 7.1-megapixel C-7070 WIDE ZOOM convincingly provides the results for versatility and excellence in all facets of photography. A high-quality lens (f2.8-4.8) with aspherical and ED elements offers a focal range commencing at a wide-angle 27mm and extending all the way to 110mm (35mm equivalent) for 4x optical zoom power. In addition, a special 143-point dual autofocus system that enables predictive measurements for back or forward moving subjects has been incorporated in a compact Olympus camera for the very first time. The Olympus CAMEDIA C-7070 WIDE ZOOM is now immediately available at all major retailers and dealers at a recommended retail price of S$1,199 (inclusive of GST).

2 February 2005 - Creative today introduced the Creative DiVi CAM 316, an affordable digital MPEG-4 video recorder that doubles up with all-in-one functionalities such as digital camera, webcam, MP3 player and voice recorder. The Creative DiVi CAM 316 is equipped with an effective 3.1-Megapixels CMOS sensor capable of recording video with audio at up to 640 x 480 resolutions in MPEG-4 format. In addition, the Creative DiVi CAM 316 can capture still images of up to 6.6 Megapixels in resolution by interpolation. With images at 2976 x 2232 pixels in size, users can capture the finer details that were not previously possible, while the 4x digital zoom allows users to capture objects that are far away in sight. Both video and still images recorded can be stored onto the integrated 16MB memory or add-on SD card (expandable up to 512MB). The Creative DiVi CAM 316 all-in-one digital camcorder is now available at a suggested retail price of US$149.00 and includes a one-year limited hardware warranty.

28 March 2006 - DigitalCameraInfo has just posted a head grudge match against 2 heavy weight DSLRs in the market. Comparing against the Nikon D200 and the Canon EOS 5D, it might seem unfair right on the start, considering Canon's 5D is actually a full frame 12.8 megapixel camera, while the D200 is only 10 megapixel. However, precisely because of Canon's Full Frame capabilities, the price tag on the 5D is significantly higher too. This particular review talks about the various key aspects of both cameras, a pretty good informative guide to camera choosing if you asked me.

1 March 2006 - At USD$14,000, this camera is not meant for the masses. The Hasselblad 503CWD is Hasselblad's 100th anniversary commemorative model. Featuring a 16 megapixel resolution, with a sensor size of 36.7cm squared, there will only be 500 of these cameras made world wide. Being a medium format camera, this machine is made for high end studio shots. "Designed around the classic Hasselblad 503, with Carl Zeiss Planar CFE 2.8/80 mm lens, 2.2-inch OLED display, FireWire 800 output and a 16 megapixel 36.7 x 36.7 mm sensor, the Hasselblad 503CWD may well be the most beautiful digital camera ever made. Of course, at about $14,000, it's not for everyone. Which may explain why Hasselblad is only making 500 of the cameras, to commemorate the 100th birthday of company founder Victor Hasselblad. No, this isn't a camera for carrying around to take candids of the kids. But if you've got the cash and long for a high-end studio digicam with a sense of history, get in line. Those 500 are probably going to go very quickly"

28 February 2006 - Engadget have also reported the announcement of Canon's latest entry level 16:9 DV camera. With a CCD that could natively record at widescreen 16:9 ratios, this video camera can offer higher final resolution on your widescreen TV. Being entry level, this camera is said to be on sale for just USD$500. "We still can't say we're quite down with the DVD format for DV recording, but Canon has a new reason to check out the format with their entry-level DC100 camera. The camera includes a widescreen CCD to record natively to 16:9 instead of merely letter boxing, offering a higher resolution final image for your widescreen TV. The camcorder also sports a 2.7-inch LCD and 25x zoom. Canon will be showing the DC100 at PMA, and should have it for sale at the end of April for $500."

21 February 2006 - Olympus introduced a pair of highly affordable and user-friendly compact cameras from its FE-series – the Olympus FE-150 and Olympus FE-160 – that are equipped with 5.0 and 6.0 megapixels, respectively. Their respective precision 3x and 2.8x optical zoom lenses allow subjects to be brought in close – with an additional 4x digital zoom boosting magnification power even further. Olympus also introduced a new affordable and easy-to-use compact digital camera – Olympus FE-115 which is equipped with a 5.0-megapixel CCD. The Olympus FE-150 and Olympus FE-160 will be available at all major retailers and dealers in mid-March 2006 at the recommended retail price of S$399 and S$499, respectively. The Olympus FE-115 will be available at a recommended retail price of S$349.

17 June 2005 - Olympus today introduced the µ DIGITAL 800 which redefines the notion of stylish, high-performance digital photography, by packing the power of 8 megapixels into a compact and weatherproof* metal body that is finished in glossy dark blue or silver. The µ DIGITAL 800 is equipped with Bright Capture Technology that not only enhances viewing conditions but also gives the camera a real edge. A large 6.4cm HyperCrystal LCD makes framing shots and viewing image results a genuine pleasure. In addition to providing extraordinary viewing angles of up to 160°, it offers three times the contrast of ordinary LCDs to display clear pictures in just about any situation, even in bright sunlight. A 19MB internal memory allows images to be saved even if there is no memory card inserted. The Olympus µ DIGITAL 800 is available at all major retailers and dealers from July 2005 onwards at a recommended retail price of S$749 (inclusive of GST). The standard package comes shipped with rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charger, USB cable, AV cable and Olympus Master software.

10 March 2005 - Plextor today announced the availability of a free Linux Software Developers Kit (SDK) for ConvertX video capture devices. For the first time, the Open Source Software (OSS) community can enjoy the advanced features of Plextor ConvertX PVRs, including real-time hardware-based MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG video encoding in a low-cost USB 2.0 video peripheral. Licensed under the GNU General Public License, the Linux SDK supports the popular Video for Linux 2 (V4L2) and Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) specifications. It also supports deprecated Open Sound System (OSS) applications via the OSS compatibility layer provided by ALSA. The new driver, which requires the Linux 2.6 kernel, includes sample code that can be reused in open source or proprietary applications to help developers get started quickly. Version 0.91 of Plextor's new Linux SDK, with support for ConvertX PX-M402U and PX-TV402U, is available immediately from http://www.plextor.com/english/support/LinuxSDK.htm

26 February 2005 - Olympus' i:robe IR-500 digital camera new dock and done modular concept that allows users to shoot, organise, store, share and print digital images without using a PC. 1st Olympus camera to feature a 360-degree rotating (front to back) 2.5-inch high-contrast 210,000-pixel Semi-Transmissive TFT LCD display 4MP, 2.8x optical zoom lens (or 30x total zoom including digital zoom), offers 17 scene programmes for shooting in a wide range of conditions and styles. QuickTime® Movie mode incorporates a camera shake correction function that reduces image unsteadiness. In addition, the peripherals for the "dock and done" set-up include the P-S100 digital photo printer and S-HD-100 hard disk storage device.

• Limited quantities of the i:robe IR-500 digital camera and P-S100 digital photo printer will be available for the first time in Singapore at the IT Show 2005 from 10 to 13 March 2005.
• Both models will subsequently be available island-wide from 14 March 2005 onwards
• The S-HD-100 hard disk storage device will be shipped to Singapore by 2Q 2005

31 December 2004 - Olympus, the industry leader in opto-digital technologies and pioneer in the digital camera market, today introduced the new Olympus µ[mju] DIGITAL 500, a compact 5-megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom. The Olympus µ[mju] DIGITAL 500 is the next-generation model of Olympus’ highly successful µ[mju] DIGITAL line. The camera comes in an all-weather metal body, and features a new flat-surface body design, a large LCD monitor, and a wide range of easy-to-use high-performance shooting functions.