12Megapixel
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Ricoh's 12 megapixel GX200 for the undecided
So long GX100, hello GX200 and your new 1/1.7-inch 12 megapixel CCD sensor. Ricoh's bridge between point-and-shoot cameras and DSLRs also features new Smooth Image Engine III processing to better control noise, a larger 2.7-inch LCD, and a 5fps continuous RAW shooting mode. The 24 to 72-mm (35mm equiv) wide-angle lens, SDHC slot, RAW image support, thin 25-mm chassis, and removable tilting electronic view?nder all carry over from the predecessor. Available next month for £350 (about $689) or £400 (about $788) if you find that viewfinder a must.
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Fujifilm's FinePix F100fd, Z20fd, and new J-series of compact shooters
Bringing up the tail to Fujifilm's pre-PMA announcements are four new compact cameras. The 12 megapixel F100fd ($380) features a 5x wide-angle optical zoom, mechanical and digital image stabilization, IrSimple, and a handy "dual shot mode" which takes a picture with and without a flash in rapid succession. It also brings a 2.7-inch LCD and likely useless (even for Fujifilm) ISO 12,800 setting. The "ultra-glam" 10 megapixel Z20fd ($200, pictured) targets the "movie-crazed Generation Z" with a "Dual Blog Mode" which automatically resizes stills or MPEG-4 movies for sharing. It also features the dual-shot mode found on the F100fd, intelligent flash, 16 pre-set scene modes, face detection, and a "stamp it" mode which replaces your friend's faces with "fun designs." Lastly we have the new J-series of 8.2 megapixel J10 ($150) and J50 ($150) compact shooters with 3x and 5x optical zooms, respectively. All available in March, all pictured in the gallery below.%Gallery-14540%Read -- F100fd Read -- Z20fd Read -- J-series
Canon's SX100 with 10x zoom, A720, and budget 12 megapixel A650
Crave more point-and-shoot news this morning? Yeah, we feel ya. Still, we're compelled by the dark digicam overlords to tell you about the new SX and A-series of Powershot cams from Canon. The first camera in the new SX ultra-zoom series is the $300, 8 megapixel SX100 IS shooter (pictured). It features a 10x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, DIGIC III image processor, OIS, advanced face detection, 30fps VGA recordings, 19 shooting modes ranging from manual to fully automatic, and a chubby little grip to keep hold of the action. The budget minded A-series then, gets a pair of 6x, optical stabilized zoomers with the 12.1 megapixel A650 IS and 8 megapixel A720 IS for $400 and $250, respectively. The A650 even brings an old school, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD for shooting around corners. Look for the new A-series models starting in September with the new SX100 hitting in October.%Gallery-6118%Read -- SX100Read -- A-series
Canon's PowerShot G9: the DSLR wannabe
More from Canon, this time it's their top-o-the-line G-series, PowerShot G9 compact shooter. Think 12.1 megapixels (1/1.7-inch CCD), 6x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, a DIGIC III image processor, optical viewfinder and 3-inch LCD, Canon's Advanced Face Detection wares, ISO 1600 max sensitivity, 23 shooting modes (including manual), SD/SDHC media support, and even a RAW image mode to pretend you're a pro. Hell, it's even compatible with optional wide-angle, telephoto, and macro supplementary lenses, EOS Speedlite flashes, and Canon's waterproof cases. In stores starting in October for a cool $500 making this one helluvan interesting new shooter.%Gallery-6114%
Samsung's NV8, NV15, and NV20 Smart Touch shooters
So in addition to their newest PMP cam, Samsung also loosed three updates to their NV (as in eNVy, yuk yuk) line-up of digital cameras. On the mostly meaningless megapixel scale, we're looking at the 8 megapixel NV8, 10 megapixel NV15, and 12 megapixel NV12. All the new NV cams feature Samsung's "Smart Touch" softkeys surrounding a 2.5-inch LCD, Schneider optics with a 3x optical zoom, likely useless ISO 3200 max sensitivity with ASR image stabilization, face detection technology, SDHC expansion, and VGA video at 30fps. The NV20 and NV15 both hit the US in the Fall for $399 and $299, respectively, while the NV8 is TBD on all accounts.%Gallery-5340%
FujiFilm's FinePix F50fd 12 megapixel compact powerhouse with IrSimple
Step aside Mary Lou Retton, there's a new pint-sized powerhouse loose in the US. Meet the $300 F50fd from FujiFilm which stuffs that ridiculous 12 megapixel, 1/1.6-inch CCD into this FinePix's slim chassis with 3x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD in tow. The cam sports a dual-shot mode (one with and one without flash taken in rapid succession), xD/SD/SDHC expansion, and FujiFilm's v2.0 Face Detection tech, a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor and the ability to shoot at ISO 1600 at full resolution. It will also be one of the first domestic shooters to support IrSimpleShot (IrSS) high speed data transfer when it enters the US market in September. And here you thought infrared was dead you silly, silly boy.%Gallery-5225%
Kodak's new Zooms: the 12 megapixel Z1275 and ZD710 with 10x zoom
Egads, Kodak just busted out two new members of their Zoom series: the 12 megapixel Z1275 and 7 megapixel ZD710. That's right, 12 freakin' megapixels packed into a tiny 1/1.72-inch CCD -- thanks a lot Sharp. The Z1275 brings a 5x Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical zoom lens and 2.5-inch LCD powered by 2x AA batteries. As for that "HD" on the front? Well, that's due its ability to record 1280 x 720 video in MPEG-4 format. Meanwhile, the ZD710 cranks the zoom up to 10X while dialing the LCD back to 2-inches. Both shooters lack any kind of optical or mechanical image stabilization which, amongst other shortcomings keeps the price down to $249 when they ship starting August 2007.[Via Photography Blog]
Sharp announces 12-megapixel sensor for compact digital cameras
We should really know by now, but you just can't convince everyone that more isn't always better. While we've already seen less-than-stellar results from the bevy of compact cameras touting unnecessarily large 10-megapixel sensors, Sharp is apparently preying on any remaining clueless consumers by unveiling a sure-to-be-disappointing 12-megapixel 1/1.7-inch sensor for wee cameras. The prodigiously small photosite (just 1.88 microns) generally means "less sensitivity, higher noise, and an even higher requirement on the lens optics" than current 2 micron models. Nevertheless, Sharp is hoping to ship these sensors en masse starting January 2007 at a cost of ¥7,500 ($64) each.[Via PhotographyBLOG]
