Hasta La Gadget!

Fujifilm’s rugged Finepix XP30 just a bit too rough around the edges for you? If so, we’d recommend grabbing a cup of joe and diving into the outfit’s CES 2011 line of point-and-shoot cameras. The company’s holding nothing back with this year’s barrage of new shooters, so let’s get to it, shall we?

• The Finepix Z90 (shown above) is a sleek, svelte new compact with a three-inch resistive touchpanel, 14 megapixel CCD sensor, Fujinon 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens and automatic upload to both YouTube and Facebook. There’s also a new ‘Dual Direction GUI’ (which splits the rear screen in various ways to view multiple images at once) digital image stabilization, face detection / red-eye removal, a 720p movie mode and a chassis that’s just 17.5mm thick. It’ll go on sale in around a fortnight for $169.95.
• The Finepix AV200, AX300 and JV200 are aimed at the bargain consumer, with all three boasting a 720p movie mode, face detection and a relatively understated design. The AV200 and JV200 are outfitted witha 14 megapixel CCD sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens, while the AX300 steps up to a 5x optical zoomer. The trio packs a 2.7-inch rear LCD, digital image stabilization and automatic red-eye removal. The AV200 and AX300 get powered by a pair of AA batteries, whereas the JV200 is equipped with a rechargeable Li-ion. The whole lot will go on sale in the US next month, with pricing set at $89.95, $99.95 and $109.95 in order of mention.
• For those looking to step up a bit, there’s the new JX series. The JX300 and JX350 include 5x optical zoomers and a 720p movie mode, not to mention a 2.7-inch rear LCD, metal body and Li-ion rechargeable battery. The JX300 is blessed with a 14 megapicel CCD sensor , while the JX350 packs a 16 megapixel CCD sensor. Fuji plans to hawk the 300 in silver, whereas the 350 will be available in brushed metal or black. Other features include an easy YouTube / Facebook upload, smile / face detection and red-eye removal. The JX300 will go on sale next month for $129.95, with the JX350 coming in April for $159.95.
• Wrapping things up, we’ve got the T200 and T300, both of which are equipped with 10x Fujinon optical zoom lenses (28mm to 280mm) and a 720p movie mode. These check in at just 18.5mm thick and include sensor shift image stabilization and a 14 megapixel CCD sensor. The T300 ups the ante with a 3-inch high-res display, while the T200 gets saddled with a 3.7-inch display. We’re told that the T300 will be available in black, while the T200 gets wrapped in a gunmetal finish. The T300 will ship in April for $199.95, and the T200 will go on sale this March for $20 less.

Continue reading Fujifilm’s CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series

Fujifilm’s CES 2011 point-and-shoot lineup: Finepix Z90, AV200, AX300, JV200, JX and T series originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

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Hot on the heels of its P7000 firmware update, Nikon has just released one for its D7000 DSLR as well. The update was created for the sole purpose of fixing the hot pixel issue that pops up when taking videos in low light. While this doesn’t completely eliminate the problem, the “bright spots” effect has been “reduced” according to Nikon USA. Unfortunately, this means you no longer have an excuse to not record your child’s rendition of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Hit up the source link for the download.

Nikon D7000 firmware update released, cools down ‘hot pixels’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, let’s say you’re out with a bud. Two buds. Just you three, hanging out, talking up memories of the days when you all kept in touch via the Kin Spot. And then, a monument. Any monument will do. You bust out a point and shoot, scrunch together, and snap a picture. Fast forward to next week, and your buds are still wondering when you’re ever going to offload those images and shoot ’em over via email. You’ve not only let down the two most important people in your life, but you’ve failed yourself. Enter Samsung’s Ucim camera, which sports a full trio of USB ports meant to house three USB memory nubs. When the shutter snaps, it logs images to all three nubs, and when the party’s over, you and your two buds grab your respective nubs and part ways. Too bad it’s just a concept for now, but here’s hoping it becomes much more than that in the near future. Your buds hope so, too.

Samsung Ucim digicam concept saves shots to three USB sticks originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Terrillo, who seems eager and excited to make the leap up from the point-and-shoot universe. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I really want a new camera, but not a point and shoot — more like a DSLR or a Micro Four Thirds. My budget is $300 but I can go up to $400 if there’s sufficient reason. I really want to get a new camera before Christmas. Any suggestions?”

Suggestions? Boy, are there. The interchangeable lens / Micro Four Thirds market has exploded this year, making up nearly all of the news that flowed from Photokina in September. Panasonic’s GF2 has seen glowing reviews, as has Sony’s NEX line. So, readers, what do you recommend? Speak out in comments below.

Ask Engadget: best Micro Four Thirds / interchangeable lens camera on a budget? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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