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Casio sneaks out the Exilim EX-Z65 compact digicam
Uh, howdy EX-Z65. Where were you for last week's PMA show? No worries, it's always nice to meet a new shooter from the Casio's Exilim series of compact shooters. The latest brings a 6.2 megapixel sensor, Anti-Shake DSP, 3x optical zoom, and new 2.6-inch, 14:9 wide LCD. Already spotted at European on-line stores for about €199 or $262. [Thanks, David]
Fuji's six megapixel Finepix F470 reviewed
When it comes to ultracompact digital cameras, they don't get much more pocketable than the Fujifilm Finepix F470 we first spotted at CES, which at 122-grams, is one of the lightest six megapixel shooters you can buy, Yet according to Digital Camera Review, the diminutive F470 is also an excellent performer, with almost insignificant startup times and shutter lag, low to acceptable noise levels up to ISO 400, and most importantly, accurate color and white balance -- save for some purple fringing on shots captured at full 3x zoom. You're also getting a 2.5-inch LCD, VGA video at 30fps, and 16MB of onboard memory, plus, the few downsides here don't sound all that bad: below average life from the included rechargeable battery, only six steps on the optical zoom, and an Exposure Compensation setting that doesn't auto-reset are the only gripes this reviewer had. Oh, that and the fact that you'll have to shell out for an xD card along with your purchase, because chances are you don't already have one, and Fuji doesn't include one in the box.
Sony joins S500 club with new 6 megapixel shooter
Even though Sony already had a budget-oriented 6 megapixel Cybershot, it looks like they've been jonesing for a S500-titled model like all the cool manufacturers have. We are a bit proud of those creative minds at Sony for breaking the general "name predicts megapixel" mould and sticking a 6 megapixel CCD in their DSC-S500, but there really isn't a lot else going on here that we didn't see in this camera's predecessor, the S600. In fact, the S500 has less included memory (24MB instead of 32MB) lower-res video (QVGA instead of VGA) and a smaller ISO range (80-400 instead of 80-1000) than the S600. Still, the new 3x zoom camera does manage a half-inch larger 2.5-inch LCD, and is a bit thinner than the S600. No word on price, or if Sony is planning on selling these two side-by-side, but we're sure Sony's naming committee is high-fiving each other right now for sneaking this one through.
Fujifilm FinePix F30 reviewed
The folks at CNET have been spending some quality time with Fujifilm's new FinePix F30 low-light 6 megapixel shooter and they're generally pleased. With a 3x optical zoom, 6 megapixel CCD, and the increasingly common 2.5-inch screen, there isn't a whole lot that stands out about this camera -- except for that outlandish ISO range. Starting at ISO 100 and ranging all the way to ISO 3,200 (previously only available for incredibly grainy black and white film shots), the camera can manage in low-light situations previously resigned to lots of flash or lots of black. CNET found the noise very low in general, espescially with ISO 100 and 200. They found ISO 1,600 to have quite obvious noise, but worthy of an 8.5 x 11 print all the same. The ISO 3,200 should obviously be kept to extreme situations, with a significant loss of image detail, but the shots were better than no shot at all, which is the general point. Otherwise the camera was just average, with a homely yet functional design, decent shooting speed, and a pretty nice LCD. There's no optical image stabilisation, but we're thinking the ISO is a pretty good trade-off. You should be able to get your very own F30 now for under $400.
Ricoh Caplio's R40 6 megapixel digital camera
Ricoh Caplio just announced their new R40 digital camera. This 6 megapixel followup to their 5 megapixel R30 features a 5.7x optical wide zoom (28-160mm 35mm equiv) double retracting lens, 2.5-inch LCD, 350 shot battery, and virtually non-existant 0.09 second shutter lag. Sure, it lacks the image stabilization of their R3 and your images stored to SD will crawl when transferred over that USB 1.1 connector but hey, this is their budget lineup so we'll cut 'em some slack until we see a price. Available this June in your choice of colors, as long as you like black. [Via Digicam Review]
Sony Cybershot DSC-H2 reviewed
That 6 megapixel DSC-H2 announced last month just pulled a righteous first-look review over at HardwareZone. The H2, remember, is Sony's prosumer followup to the DSC-H1. If you liked the H1, then the H2 is sure to please with its higher megapixel count and better low-light imaging capabilities due to a high ISO 1000 sensor sensitivity and "Clear RAW" noise reduction technology. And Sony fanatics will be stoked to hear that Sony opted for a Carl Zeiss lens with that same 12x optical zoom boasted by the H1's in-house Sony lens. Throw in Sony's "Super SteadyShot" optical image stabilization and HardwareZone sez the DSC-H2 is "highly recommended" for travelers who prefer image quality and functionality over portability. And with macro shot focusing at 1-cm, the H2 makes a "fine camera that is ideal for most occasions." Look for these to drop any day now for about $400 beans.[Thanks, Rubylized]
