Hasta La Gadget!

Is 2011 the year of the superzoom? It’s doubtful, but darn if Fujifilm isn’t trying hard to make it so. Following up on the outfit’s CES 2011 unveiling of the Finepix XP30, XP20 and a slew of low-to-mid-range point and shoots comes this stash: a pocketful ‘tater sack full of nicely specced megazooms. Let’s break ’em down, cool?

• The Finepix HS20EXR (which leaked just a few hours ago) is easily the crown jewel of this bunch, boasting a 16 megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, a 30x Fujinon manual optical zoom lens (24mm to 720mm equivilent), a tilting 3.0-inch LCD, a ‘heads-up’ sensor that automatically changes from LCD to EVF, 8fps continuous shooting, 1080p movie recording, the ability to shoot in RAW (or RAW + JPEG), an optional remote release cable and support for two Fujifilm external flashes. This bad boy will ship in late March for $499.95.
• Looking for megazoom range in a compact’s body? You’ve found it. The Finepix F500EXR and F550EXR both offer relatively sleek bodies, a new 16 megapixel EXR-CMOS sensor, a 15x Fujinon wide-angle zoom lens and a 3-inch LCD on the rear. You’ll also get high-speed shooting capabilities as well as a 1080p movie mode, with the 550EXR stepping up and adding both GPS geotagging and the ability to capture files in RAW. Both cameras measure 22.9mm thick, offer image stabilization and have an ISO range of up to 1600. Both of these shooters will hit in mid-March, with the 500EXR going for $329.95 and the 550EXR seeming like a pure-tee bargain at just $20 more.
• Bringing up the rear, it’s the new S series. The SLR-styled Finepix S2950, S3200 and S4000 superzooms boast a 14 megapixel sensor, with 18x, 24x and 30x Fujinon optical zoomers available in order of mention. You’ll also get dual image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD around back, an electronic viewfinder, 720p movie mode and the ability to power these with a pair of AA batteries. The S2950 will go on sale this month for $229.95, while the S3200 hits next month for $249.95 and the S4000 lands in March for $279.95.

Continue reading Fujifilm brings 30x optical zoom to Finepix HS20EXR, 15x to F500EXR and F550EXR

Fujifilm brings 30x optical zoom to Finepix HS20EXR, 15x to F500EXR and F550EXR originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Fujifilm  | Email this | Comments

Remember Fujifilm’s Finepix XP10 from… oh, right around seven months ago? Hopefully you’re not one to get overly depressed about the rush of progress, because Fujifilm has just outed an update to that very camera that’s significantly improved. Following Casio’s footsteps on the Exilim EX-H20G, Fuji is introducing the GPS-enabled Finepix XP30 here at CES. The overall size and shape remains similar to the aforementioned XP10, with this point-and-shoot being waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof. What may really entice the argonauts in the crowd is the embedded GPS chip; this will keep tabs of your location and embed your exact coordinates into every picture you take. Once you get back home, just dump ’em into iPhoto or Picasa in order to view photos based on location. Moreover, the GPS Tracking Data function will regularly store location data, and when you get home, you can actually create a map of your travels. Other specifications include a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, 720p movie mode, image stabilization, a 2.7-inch anti-reflective LCD, a reinforced hardened glass lens barrier, a metal, unibody chassis and a riveted front panel. The XP30 should ship next month for $239.95, while a GPS-less sibling (the Finepix XP20; pictured after the break) will ship a month later for $199.99; those looking to accessorize will find an adjustable float strap, protective silicone skin and a neoprene sports case for sale in March for an undisclosed amount.

Continue reading Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera

Fujifilm adds GPS module, geotagging functionality to waterproof Finepix XP30 camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Fujifilm  | Email this | Comments

Nobody is immune from a CES leak, it seems, as even the relatively tame waters of high-end compact and superzoom cameras have been ruffled up today with the emergence of two 16 megapixel Fujifilm models. Both sport an EXR-CMOS sensor, with the bigger brother HS20EXR boasting a 30x zoom (equivalent to covering the 28mm to 720mm range in old school photography parlance) zoom lens along with a 3-inch LCD on the back and an electronic viewfinder. Joining it at the CES unveiling this week will be a FinePix F500EXR number that offers a highly respectable 15x zoom of its own, along with a 3-inch LCD, geotagging, and 1080p video recording. If this leak turns out to be the real deal, we should have confirmation and more details very soon indeed.

Continue reading Fujifilm’s 16 megapixel CES debutants leaked early: 30x superzoom and 1080p-recording compact

Fujifilm’s 16 megapixel CES debutants leaked early: 30x superzoom and 1080p-recording compact originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Photo Rumors  | Email this | Comments

WiFi cameras are hardly anything new, but there are a few features on this Samsung SH100 that caught our attention. For one, this 14.2 megapixel imager lets you use your Android smartphone — Galaxy S is specifically mentioned here — a “real time” remote viewfinder and trigger over WiFi! Additionally, users will also benefit from the camera’s DLNA and wireless PC sync capabilities. While this sounds all awesome, we’ll have to wait until March before our wallets take a $199.99 damage. Full spec sheet after the break.

Continue reading Samsung’s WiFi-enabled SH100 shoots in 14.2MP, uses your Android as a viewfinder

Samsung’s WiFi-enabled SH100 shoots in 14.2MP, uses your Android as a viewfinder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Things are just getting underway here at CES in Las Vegas, and Kodak’s on-hand in order to serve up its latest smorgasbord of optical treasures. Without further ado, allow us to present to you the Easyshare Touch — a $149.95 offering with a three-inch capacitive touchpanel, a dedicated video record button, a 14 megapixel sensor, 5x Schneider-Kreuznach lens and an HDMI output. Next up is the $99.95 Easyshare Mini, described as Kodak’s smallest camera yet. It’s “around the size of a credit card,” offering a 3x wide-angle optical zoom lens, a built-in front mirror (you know, for those glorious self-portrait sessions), a ten megapixel sensor and a 2.5-inch rear LCD. Moving right along, there’s the $79.95 Easyshare Sport, which is the outfit’s first waterproof camera that can go up to ten feet underwater without any significant consequences. It’ll also shrug off dirt and dust while snapping 12 megapixel shots and previewing them on the 2.4-inch LCD. Sashaying over to the video realm, there’s the $149.95 Playfull camcorder, which touts an ultraslim design (it’ll “fit in the pocket of your skinny jeans,” according to Special K), a 1080p capture mode and an unmistakable ‘Share’ button to get your footage onto YouTube or a social network without any wasted time.

The company’s also using CES as an opportunity to launch the next generation of its Playsport video camera, with this $179.95 model being waterproof up to ten feet, shockproof, dustproof and capable of logging clips at 1080p. You can also snap stills at five megapixels, and that previously mentioned ‘Share’ button is predictably tacked on here as well. Speaking of revisions, the Pulse digital photo frame is also seeing a gentle refresh, with this one available in 7-inch ($129.95) and 10-inch ($199.95) sizes. The newcomers add the ability to comment on the pictures you receive from friends and family, with our favorite predetermined response being “Such a KODAK MOMENT!” Seriously. Oh, and these also have an ingrained activity sensor that turns the frame off when you walk away, and brings it back to life when you re-approach. Finally, the ESP C310 all-in-one printer will be selling for $99.99, but so far as we can tell, Kodak would rather extol the virtues of its ink-saving abilities than drum up interest in its cutting-edge feature set. Further details can be spotted in the full release after the break.

Continue reading Kodak intros Easyshare Touch, Mini and Sport cameras, Playfull and Playsport camcorders

Kodak intros Easyshare Touch, Mini and Sport cameras, Playfull and Playsport camcorders originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments