Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600?

We know, you were hoping to just glance over today’s hottest articles in the world of consumer electronics, and along comes this: something that actually asks a little of you. Trust us, it’ll be alright, and hey — after you’ve replied, you can send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

“The family and I are headed to Walt Disney World in June for the first time. I have a Canon Digital Rebel and a Canon GL1, but really do not want to haul either or both of them to the Magic Kingdom with us. So, the question is: what is the best camera that does great stills and video and is super small? Under 600 bones preferably. Thanks!”

No Rich, thank you for making us all envious. Be sure to take the advice that’ll surely flow in comments below and send us picture postcards while waiting in line to ride the Tower of Terror for the forty-third time. (Seriously, do not miss Tower of Terror.)

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Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus SP-590UZ (and its 26x zoomer) gets reviewed

We’re beginning to think there really is no number too high for the megazoom focal length. Back in the day, just boasting a 10x zoomer was enough to fall into said category; today, you best top 20x if you even want into the discussion. Olympus’ 26x SP-590UZ is definitely amongst the craziest out there, sporting a 12 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD and a launch price of just under $450. Reviewers over at PhotographyBLOG were duly impressed across the board, with a certain critic noting that “the ability to go from capturing wide-angle landscapes to distant details in a four second zoom of the lens cannot be underestimated, especially as there’s little distortion to worry about at either end and excellent sharpness across its entire range.” Not surprisingly, the cam notched a “Highly Recommended” badge along with 4.5 out of 5 overall stars — that said, are you really willing to buy in knowing a 58.983x successor is just around the bend?

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Olympus SP-590UZ (and its 26x zoomer) gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung intros 12 megapixel duo: TL320 and HZ15W

What’s this, Samsung? Announcing a few new cameras each week until PMA hits us when we least expect it? Just days after the firm expanded its less than enthralling SL lineup comes two new 12 megapixelers. The TL320 is the same one we spotted earlier at Amazon, though some of those specs were — shall we say, preliminary. The official specs sheets lists a 12.2 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 3-inch HVGA AMOLED display, 720p movie recording, HDMI output, dual image stabilization and twin analog gauges for checking out memory capacity and battery life. As for the ZH15W, that one checks in with a dozen megapixels even, a 10x optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD monitor, 720p movie mode and most of the same features as the aforementioned cousin. Both shooters should be available this May for $379.99 and $329.99, respectively, and you can catch the full release after the break.

Continue reading Samsung intros 12 megapixel duo: TL320 and HZ15W

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Samsung intros 12 megapixel duo: TL320 and HZ15W originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot camera?

In the spirit of winter, we felt that Ben’s recent question about a camera fit for the slopes was just perfect. And if you’d like to toss out a warm and fuzzy question of your own, just send one to ask at engadget dawt com and keep tuning in.

“I’m going skiing over spring break, and I’ve been reading a lot on some of the newer waterproof, rugged cameras. There are just so many out there to choose from, I was wondering what you guys thought about some of the better ones.”

So, what camera should Mr. Ben procure in order to have worry-free shooting days at the slopes? He probably wouldn’t mind one that withstands minor bumps and bangs either, ’cause we all know what inevitably happens the first time down a new double black.

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Ask Engadget: Best rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung expands SL camera lineup: SL820, SL620, SL202 and SL30

It was but merely a month ago that Samsung introduced two new ones in its blossoming SL series, and now the company’s shooting out four more in the run-up to PMA. Kicking things off are the SL820 (pictured) and SL620, two 12.2 megapixel shooters which sport three-inch LCD monitors and a 5x optical zoom. With the former, users are presented with a 28mm wide angle lens, while the SL620 offers a standard 35mm lens. The pair also touts Optical and Digital Image Stabilization, while the SL820 steps it up with 720p video recording (compared to the SL620’s VGA mode) and HDMI connectivity. Moving on, we’ve got the SL202 and SL30, which both arrive with 10 megapixel sensors and a 3x optical zoom. Beyond that, everything’s about as plain as it gets, so we’ll just skip right to the prices while hosting up the full release after the break. The May-bound SL820 will go for $279.99, while the March-bound SL620, SL202 and SL30 will sticker for $199.99, $149.99 and $99.99, respectively.

Continue reading Samsung expands SL camera lineup: SL820, SL620, SL202 and SL30

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Samsung expands SL camera lineup: SL820, SL620, SL202 and SL30 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio digicam gets overrun by Hello Kitty

Hopefully your retinas aren’t burning, but we can definitely understand if you need to take a few minutes and resume reading later after viewing the image above. An almost unlawful amount of cuteness has mauled this otherwise average Casio EXILIM digital camera, which just so happens to boast a 9 megapixel sensor, 2.6-inch rear LCD monitor, 41.2MB of internal storage space, an SDHC card slot, 3x optical zoom lens, a video recording mode and a borderline sickening amount of crystals, pink and Hello Kitty. Those who don’t mind blinding their guests each time they attempt to snap a shot can grab one now for ¥47,250 ($513), but you can probably guess what our recommendation would be.

[Via Topix]

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Casio digicam gets overrun by Hello Kitty originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus E-30 DSLR reviewed: distinctly different, but that’s a good thing

Olympus’ E-30 just recently began to hit store shelves after being announced last November, and the shutterbugs at DigitalCameraReview have taken the liberty of critiquing it for all prospective buyers to see. The cam maintained the quirkiness that tends make an Olympus, well, an Olympus, but when it came down to actual performance, the DSLR didn’t disappoint… much, anyway. It should be noted that it couldn’t hold a candle to the D90 at ISO 3,200, so low-light fiends may want to look elsewhere. That aside, critics were more than pleased with the copious amount of features, the top-shelf focusing speed and the remarkable build quality. If it were priced a few hundies lower, it’d almost be a no-brainer, but with an asking price of around $1,300 at present time, it’ll be hard to sway the eyes of those already focusing on another shooter. Have a look at the read link for a few sample shot comparisons and the full writeup.

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Olympus E-30 DSLR reviewed: distinctly different, but that’s a good thing originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi camera reviewed: wait for generation two

WiFi cameras are far from new — over the past couple of years, we’ve seen P&S after P&S arrive with minimal functionality that would allow it to sync pictures with one specific online photo portal (or similar). Sony has stepped up the game for cameras to come with the Cyber-shot DSC-G3, which is the first of its kind to include a web browser for logging into pay-hotspots and uploading to practically any photo sharing site on the web. Popular Science got to handle one for a few weeks, and in the end, they were in love with the idea but hesitant to praise the execution. The T700-turned-wireless took satisfactory pictures, but the browser experience was less than awesome. You can hit the read link for all the dirty details, but unless you’re willing to deal with “agonizingly” slow load times, you’re probably better off waiting for the next revision. Or for some other company to whip out a bona fide competitor.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi camera reviewed: wait for generation two originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung intros SL102 / SL420 point-and-shoots, no one notices

Samsung has already thrown most of its excitement out here at CES, and after looking at the SL102 and SL420, you might argue that “most” should actually be “all.” Nah, there’s nothing intrinsically awful about either of these 10.2 megapixel shooters, but they’re certainly amongst the most ho hum delivered at the show. Both of the SL-Series devices also offer up Face Detection, rechargeable Li-ion batteries and Digital Image Stabilization technology. As for differences, the SL102 packs a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD, while the SL402 includes a 2.7-inch LCD monitor and a 5x optical zoom. Like we said, pretty boring, but we don’t doubt their ability to get the job done if it really came down to it.

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Samsung intros SL102 / SL420 point-and-shoots, no one notices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera hands-on

Polaroid’s PoGo Instant Digital Camera isn’t for the hardcore geeks — it’s stuck with a 5 megapixel sensor, no optical zoom whatsoever and an LCD monitor that was fanciful in 1998. What it can do, however, is churn out photo stickers in around 60 seconds after a photo is taken without the need for an external printer. Have a look at the March-bound unit below, and look, your kids will love it. Promise.

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Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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