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Zeiss' full-frame compact camera finally available to pre-order for $6,000
Zeiss’ full-frame compact ZX1 compact full-frame camera debuted in 2018 with built-in Lightroom CC and other unusual features, but we’ve barely heard a peep about it since. Now, the camera has suddenly gone on pre-order for $6,000 at B&H Photo, nearly two years after it was supposed to go on sale.
Zeiss' first digital camera is the ZX1 full-frame compact
Zeiss has unveiled its first-ever digital camera, the interesting and exotic ZX1 compact. It has a full-frame 37.4-megapixel sensor and a fixed 35mm f/2.0 T* lens, putting it into exclusive company with Sony's RX1 and the Leica Q. The boxy body is distinctive, to say the least, with a triangular grip and bright yellow lettering on the lens and dials. Most notably, Zeiss teamed up with Adobe to build Lightroom CC into the camera, letting you shoot, tweak and share images.
Sony unveils bevy of Walkman devices, puts premium on hi-res audio playback
If you prefer Walkman hardware to Sony's corresponding app, the company's got a fleet of new models for you to consider. Headlining the new lineup are the ZX1 and F880 series, which boast 1GHz dual-core processors, 854 × 480 touchscreens, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, an "S-Master HX" digital amp and high-res audio playback (192kHz/24bit) in AIFF, ALAC, FLAC and WAV. Since they both run full-fledged Android 4.1, they also have access to Google Play and can run games, as well as other apps. A silver ZX1 will hit Japanese shelves on December 7th with 128GB of storage, and a lofty price of 75,000 yen, or roughly $760. The F880, meanwhile, will arrive in Japan in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB options -- each available in black, blue, pink or white -- priced at 27,000, 30,000 and 40,000 yen (about $273, $304 and $405), respectively. Sony's positioned the new S series Walkmans as its most battery-conscious option; the thing is said to last through 77 hours of music playback with a 320 × 240 LCD and up to 32GB of space. Music listeners will be able to snag the device for as little 18,000 yen (approximately $182) come October 19th. Also available is the E line, which has just 4GB of storage and starts at 11,000 yen (around $111). The M series packs 16GB worth of tunes in a tube-like form factor, and it'll be available December 7th 18,000 yen, or roughly $182. Finally, the Walkman parade is rounded out with an update to its waterproof in-ear Bluetooth headphones, doubling capacity to 8GB. When October 19th rolls around, they'll go for 15,000 yen (or around $152). No word on when the barrage of new products will make it stateside, but you can dive into the source for more in the meantime.
Weber State University shows us how to shoot 3D in HD for $250 (video)
There are plenty of ways to shoot the next groundbreaking 3D masterpiece, and for those with considerable bankrolls Panasonic's P2 is a good choice -- but, at $21,000, forgive us for looking for inexpensive alternatives. The Scientific Analysis and Visualization Initiative at Weber State University has crafted a very simple solution relying on a pair of Kodak Zx1 pocket HD cameras. They're simply bolted to a piece of L-shaped aluminum bar by machine screws spaced at 6.5cm to more or less equate to the distance between your eye holes. It's an elegantly simple solution and, at just $250, a deliciously cheap one too -- especially considering those cameras are over $100 each. The results are good, which you can see for yourself in anaglyph (red/blue) format below.
Kodak Zx1 unboxing and impressions
While videophiles might shudder to think it, Pure Digital's crappy Flip, the little YouTubecam that could, has changed a lot about how a lot of folks approach video capture -- $590 million worth of change, according to Cisco. Kodak jumped into the market last year with one of the earliest HD models, the $179 Zi6. Now they've followed up with the Zx1, a $149 "rugged" camera for, um, ruggedness. They're aiming the camera at outdoor types, but with a smaller form factor, better build, lower price, HDMI output, and 60fps 720p recording (the original maxes out at 30fps 720p), about the only thing you'll be missing from the Zi6 is a macro mode. So, specs aside, how does the Zx1 perform? Find out after the break.
Kodak Zx1 pocket HD cam and Z980 zoomer hands-on
Kodak came to CES with the new Zx1 rugged pocket HD cam and Z980 24x zoomer, and we spent some quality time with both. The Zx1 is an interesting repackaging of the Zi6 -- it loses the pop-out USB connector in favor of a sealed waterproof casing, but it gains HDMI out and some fabulous colors. The Z980 is pretty large, but it's super-light, almost surprisingly so. The unit we got to play with here is actually a pre-pro model, so that silver ring will be black on the final model, but otherwise it's the same thing. Pics in the gallery! %Gallery-41035%
Kodak's rugged Zx1 handheld camcorder does 720p in the jungle
Kodak's 720p Zi6 has only been out for six months, but already we're seeing what's likely its beefed-up successor. The mighty Zx1 is debuting here at CES, and with it comes a 2-inch LCD monitor, easy upload to YouTube, 720p HD video capture at 60fps, an IP43-certified weather-resistant design and an SD / SDHC card slot that can understand media up to 32GB in size. All told, users can capture up to ten hours of high-def video, and the bundled HDMI cable makes showing off recent grabs as easy as pie. The Zx1 will arrive in five colors (pink, blue, yellow, red and black) and will include pre-charged AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries alongside a charger. We'll bet Creative and Pure Digital have a little something of their own to show off before this one lands in April for $149.95. Full release is (where else?) after the break.
Sony's BRAVIA EX1 / ZX1 HDTVs arrive in the UK
Wouldn't you know it? The world's slimmest LCD HDTV and one of the only wireless HDTVs have both arrived in unison in the United Kingdom. Without much fanfare, Sony has delivered the 9.9-millimeter thin KDL-40ZX1 (pictured) / KDL-52EX1 and the likely-WHDI-enabled KDL-40ZX1 / KDL-46EX1 to regions across the pond, though these beauties won't come with you relieving your wallet of some serious poundage. The KDL-40ZX1 gets going at £2,339, and it only gets wilder from there.[Thanks, Marcos]
Sony's 40-inch ZX-1 LCD HDTV practically confirmed with WHDI
We already had a good idea that Sony's non-US-bound BRAVIA ZX-1 would come packin' AMIMON's WHDI wireless technology, and now that fact is all but confirmed. The ultrathin LCD HDTV, which is set to go on sale in Japan November 10th, will be relying on AMIMON's wireless standard and not the quickly fading UWB. According to EETimes, Yoav Nissan-Cohen (chairman and CEO of AMIMON) refused to deny that WHDI was in the set when asked, and while a Sony spokesperson also declined to confirm, his description of the technology pointed at one protocol alone. Ultra-wideband, we'd recommend a serious push for adoption right about now, else WHDI just might claim what's yours in the near future.
Sony's Bravia ZX1 not US bound, possibly Amimon pre-WHDI based
We're got a tipster telling that Sony's new 9.9-mm thin, wireless Bravia ZX1 is absolutely, without a doubt, based on Amimon's WHDI (pre-standard) wireless technology. Not surprising given Sony's and Amimon's collaborative effort to make WHDI a proper standard. Still, when we asked Sony, they gave us a sly grin followed by a, "no comment." Sony was willing to confirm a "guaranteed" 1080i transmission at a range of up to 20-meters. Amimon, on the other hand, can transmit 1080p / 30fps at distances up to 30-meters, you know, just as long as you're not separating devices with a wall of Kevlar and Kryptonite. Sony also told us that we can expect the thinster to land in Euroland before Xmas, but not the US where it would seem they have a different, non-integrated wireless model prepping for release. We'll see at CES in January if not earlier.
iPhone 3G vs. Sony's 40-inch ZX1 LCD television... Fight!
We knew Sony's new 40-inch Bravia Edge LED ZX1 was thin, 9.9-mm thin in fact (at least at the top section). But man, we didn't expect it to make the iPhone 3G slipping around the insides of our pockets look like such a chubster. Plenty more to see in the gallery below.%Gallery-30640%
ASUS moving forward on ZX1 cancellation, adding two other phones?
CNET Asia has apparently received word that not only will ASUS' Lamborghini-branded ZX1 smartphone be canceled (as we mentioned earlier this month), but the company will also be putting the brakes on its forthcoming P560 and M536 phones as well. In a statement issued presumably to CNET, the company claims that the project has been postponed due to the "technical immaturity of a key component from one of our suppliers," though they seem to have left the door open for a reboot. We know one thing for sure -- it's clear that the P560 and M536 weren't those "more important devices" the company made reference to previously. They probably need the resources for another 25 versions of the Eee PC.[Thanks, chauco]
Lamborghini-branded ASUS ZX1 said to be canceled
It's been touted and shown off for a few months now, but it looks like ASUS may have finally given up on its luxurious Lamborghini-branded ZX1 smartphone, at least if Alex of MoDaCo is to be believed. According to him, ASUS has cancelled the planned summer launch of the device in order to ensure that "more important devices" scheduled for Q4 of this year are released on time. No word if that means we may still eventually see the pricey phone released sooner or later, but we wouldn't recommend holding your breath at the moment.
Eyes-on with ASUS ZX1 Lamborghini phone
While poking around the ASUS booth this morning we had a chance to witness the world premier unveiling of the ZX1 Lamborghini. We even took a few shots before it went under the glass. However, the real treat is the UI based on a Windows Mobile 6.1 core running special ASUS tweaks. It's "just like the iPhone" according to our friendly ASUS guide. The device is expected to fetch an unsubsidized €1,000 ($1,500) price tag when this 3G world-phone launches in Europe this May. Maybe you'll think it's worth it when we get back to you in a few with a video of the GUI albeit sans all that Lamborghini theme nonsense.%Gallery-17354%
ASUS Lamborghini ZX1 propaganda spotted at CeBIT
So it now looks like that rumored high-end ZX1 Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset from ASUS is a lock for a CeBIT announcement, though we're going to be totally honest, we're not certain it's worthy of the Lamborghini name. Granted, we've got to withhold judgment until we get one in our hands, but outside of a Lamborghini badge-shaped nav pad and a speedometer-inspired clock on the home screen, we're not seeing anything special about the darned thing. On the plus side, it's a 3G world phone with HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 and quadband GSM / EDGE, a 3 megapixel autofocus camera out back with a VGA sensor up front for video calling, 256MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, microSD expansion, GPS, WiFi, and the typical QVGA display. We guess the 13.2mm thick shell is notable, but Lamborghini notable? More on this one as soon as we catch it in the wild.%Gallery-17325%
Lamborghini-branded ASUS ZX1 smartphone coming to CeBIT?
Long a tradition in ASUS' notebook line, it seems like the storied Italian marque might be making a fateful move from the lap to the pocket. The rumored ZX1 handset from ASUS is said to be a fairly high-end smartphone -- and frankly, Lamborghini should expect nothing less -- with Windows Mobile 6 Professional, a 520MHz core, integrated GPS, HSDPA, and to loosely translate the French source, "all the colors of the Lamborghini brand." It looks like ASUS will be targeting the Touch crowd with this one, too, thanks to an expansive touchscreen that we'd guess will be at least a bit finger-friendly. If this all checks out, we can expect the ZX1 for about €650 (about $963) this summer following a CeBIT announcement.[Via Unwired View]
