Hasta La Gadget!

Japanese game manufacturer Takara Tomy showcased a particularly realistic virtual handheld fishing game called Virtual Masters Reel AR Fishing at this years Toy Show in Tokyo. Set to be released in July of this year, the fishing rod shaped gadget allows players to engage in a full fishing experience regardless of their location, thanks to a built in 2.4 inch liquid crystal monitor and a rod console that mimics the actual sensation of real fishing gear. Using Augmented Reality (AR), it contains a 0.3 megapixel camera that allows players to take photos of wherever they are and use them as the “environment” to go fishing in.

The Virtual Masters Reel aims at providing a full user sensory fishing experience to players in numerous ways. Instead of merely pushing different colored buttons on a standard handheld game, players actually cast the rod into the ocean (or whatever environment they are fishing in), and based on the strength and angle of the cast, the distance of the float is recorded and players physically wind the virtual spool up to the desired displayed depth. When a blue virtual fish approaches the float, the player is alerted with a vibration and must give the device a tug to hook the prey. As they are reeling the virtual fish in, the screen displays a tension meter, which (based on the strength) causes the reel to actually bend accordingly, and is surprisingly realistic. The fiestier the fish, the stronger the bend, and the more difficult it is to reel it in; reflected in a tightening of the fishing line. Finally, using the tension meter as a guide, the player claims his prize with one last powerful tug on the rod.

The AR segment in Takara Tomy’s new toy is an interesting added feature. Its built in camera can take photos to be stored on a miniSD card, which can then be transferred onto a computer. Unfortunately the reverse is not possible, but an updated version where any picture can be transferred to be used as a fishing arena would be a nice touch. This would allow fishermen to do the impossible, such as catching prey in the grand canyon by simply downloading a picture of it from Google Images. The sound effects also enhance the realism with specific sounds such as the bait hitting the water, the water ripples, and the flight of the float as users cast out.

The Virtual Masters Reel game can appeal to all age groups, regardless of whether they have had previous fishing experience or not. It is exciting to see the term AR being used in such toys enjoyed by a wide range of consumers, rather than hi-tech machines that only tech savvy users know how to operate. Takara Tomy predicts that with the recent turn towards outdoor leisure activities, the famous “Yama (Mountain) Girls” would be followed by “Tsuri (Fishing) Girls” this year (there area already enough girls in Tokyo already walking around in wellington boots!), supporting July’s release date.

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We know some of you have been a little disappointed in Panasonic’s GF line of Micro Four Thirds cams as they’ve shed advanced features and become more “consumer friendly” — terrifying words for any serious user to hear. But, we’ve got some good news, at some point in the future the GF line will split with a more professionally-minded model sold alongside the more simplistic GF3. That’s straight from the mouth of Ichiro Kitao, the head of Panasonic’s camera division, who spoke to PhotoRadar about the company’s plans. When the GF1 will finally get a spiritual successor isn’t exactly clear, but we’re glad to hear the pocketable Micro Four Thirds series will finally get another serious shooter.

Panasonic plans to expand GF line, return to serious shooter roots originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It took a year and a half for Panasonic to add the GF2 to the wonderful (big) pocket-sized GF1 mirrorless Micro Four Thirds camera. Now, just five months later, we have another one — the GF3. This camera is even smaller and feature lacking than the already cut down GF2, showing that Panasonic is clearly taking this line down to the consumer level.

The camera still has a 12MP sensor, just like its two older (and smarter) brothers. It combines this with a new processor (the Venus Engine found in the bigger GH2 and G3) which allows faster auto focus and generally makes the camera snappier. It also gets some new “Photo Styles” and a new filter called miniature, aka tilt-shift, and focus-tracking when shooting video.

Much bigger is the list of what the camera has lost. Minimum ISO climbs from 100 to 160, the rear click dial has gone, as has the stereo mic of the GF2. The flash is now top center, but the hotshoe has gone, meaning you can’t add an accessory viewfinder or a flash.

For those stepping up from a compact camera the fast response, big sensor and interchangeable lenses will be a huge difference, and many will buy this instead of an SLR. For enthusiasts who loved the GF1, it looks like the end of the GF line in terms of them being useful cameras. Thankfully, all those Micro Four Thirds lenses you bought can be used on Olympus’ Pen EP series cameras, which seem to be taking things a little more seriously.

The GF3 will be on sale in July with the slow and wide 14mm ƒ2.5 pancake lens ($700), and in August with the 14-42mm ƒ3.5-5.6 kit lens ($600).

Panasonic GF3 product page [Panasonic]

See Also:

• A Month With the Lumix GF1, And Why I No Longer Use The Nikon D700 …
• Hands-On With Panasonic's Leica-Lite GF1
• Panasonic Falters With Button-Light Lumix GF2

Ricoh’s rugged, slab-shaped PX is pocket friendly

Ricoh’s rugged new PX camera may not look like much, but beneath its plain and handsome exterior there are some basic but smart features.

First, the skin itself. The PX is tough, designed to survive drops of up to a meter and a half, and stay underwater for an hour at depths of three meters or less. Should that still not be enough, you can add a silicone bumper-style case in one of several fetching colors. The white one is my favorite, and makes it look like a prop from Kubrick’s 2001.

The PX has a 16MP sensor, which can shoot from ISO 100-3200 and shoot movies at 720p, and the control layout is straightforward and simple. But there are some little touches which make this a great camera for carrying everywhere. First is the charger — the battery charges via standard USB, Next is the screen. Next is support for the Eye-Fi X2 cards, which let you upload photos on fast 802.11n networks.

I used to own a 35mm compact camera from Ricoh, and it was almost identical in design. The little boxy shape is perfect for pockets, and I carried mine with me always. Sadly, it died when the flash blew up and fried the rest of the camera, thanks to the damp apartment I used to live in. Thanks to its rugged shell, the new PX shouldn’t have that problem.

Ricoh PX product page [Ricoh]

See Also:

• Ricoh Speeds Up AF With Old-School Tech
• Ricoh Adds Leica Lens-Friendly Sensor to GXR
• Ricoh's Inside-Out GXR Puts Its Sensors Inside the Lens
• Rugged Camera Gear for High-Octane Adrenaline Junkies

Sony’s NEX -C3 is just like the ‘leaked’ version, only without the flip-screen

It looks like the rumors and leaks were dead on — almost. Sony’s latest mirrorless NEX camera has been made officially official, and it is indeed a smaller, lighter version of the NEX-3. Called the NEX-C3, it’s essentially a compact camera with a big sensor and interchangeable lenses.

The one thing the rumors got wrong was actually pretty big. “Leaked” photos showed the same camera we have here, only with a bulky flip-out LCD screen. This has disappeared in the shipping model. I checked back to see if maybe the leaked photos showed an unlabeled NEX-C5 instead, but it says C3 on the top plate.

On to the specs. A new sensor gives 16.2 MP, captures 720p video and will shoot in the dark at up to ISO 12,800. It has a big 3-inch LCD screen, and Sony claims that the battery will last for 400 still shots on a single charge. That’s not bad for a mirrorless camera — my Panasonic GF-1 is the only camera I ever bought a spare battery for (and it cost almost €90, or $130. Ouch).

The NEX-C3 will be available in August and cost $650 in a kit with an 18-55mm lens. There will also be a version shipping with a 16mm lens for $600.

Sony NEX-C3 press release [Sony]

See Also:

• Sony's NEX-C3 Leaked: Stereo Sound, Flip-Out Screen
• Sony NEX Camcorder Revealed: SLR Sensor in $2000 Package
• Sony's NEX Mirrorless Cameras Are the Smallest in the World …