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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45 reviewed, bests the FZ35 but falls short of the FZ100
Panasonic's DMC-FZ35 (aka the FZ38 in some regions) was highly regarded in its time -- which was all of a year ago. The superzoomer won shootouts along with the hearts of many, but now it's being retired in favor of a new camera, the DMC-FZ45 (aka the FZ40). This one moves up to a 14 megapixel CCD sensor but, according to PhotographyBlog's review, doesn't suffer the resulting decrease in image quality you might expect. Its 24x, 25 - 600mm zoom lens is highly rated, as is the 720p30 mode. A total winner, then, right? Yes -- except that it doesn't compare to Panasonic's own recently-released FZ100, which does all that and throws in 1080p recording, better burst-shooting, and a few other niceties. That camera is, however, $100 more than the $399 FZ45, so you're going to have to let your budget be your guide here.
Jetyo's HDV-T900 solar-powered camcorder will capture only your brightest holiday memories
This traditionally-shaped camcorder may not be ergonomically friendly, but it is environmentally friendly -- ostensibly, anyway. It's the HDV-T900 from Jetyo, a 720p30 model that records to SDHC memory cards through what appears to be a fixed zoom lens (its specs promise only an 8x digital zoom). The thing that makes this a conversation piece is the solar cell on the backside of the three-inch LCD display. It's hardly encouraging that the company's site doesn't say anything about how quickly it recharges the 4 AA batteries used for power, or indeed how long those batteries can power the thing in the first place. But, the site does say the current from the solar cell is 120mA, so we can do the math. Assuming you're using something like 2,500mAh AA rechargeable cells, you're looking at about 25 hours of sunlight to recharge one battery and there are, of course, four used here. Hey, sounds like a good excuse to extend your vacation to us.
Gobandit GPS HD action camcorder captures your exploits, top speed (video)
Regardless of how sharp the footage captured from your most recent extreme endeavor looks, chances are it won't seem as fast as it felt at the time. Soon, though, you'll have some hard proof to back up your tall tales with the waterproof gobandit GPS HD. It has an integrated GPS module that logs your position as you film with it, enabling you to view your course on a map and, most interestingly, apply some overlays to the resulting footage, showing your current speed, top speed, and altitude. Video is captured at a maximum of 720p30, though 5 megapixel stills can be grabbed automatically at two or five second intervals. 2GB of memory is built into the cam, but SDHC support means up to 32GB of footage from the side of your lid. Thrill-seekers can get their pre-order on now ahead of an April release, but with an MSRP of £299.99 ($470) we'll probably stick with our GoPros, our ContourHDs, and our wild claims about triple-digit speeds. Extreme teaser video after the break. Update: We got an e-mail from the folks at gobandit informing us that they're targeting a rather more palatable US MSRP of $389 ahead of an eventual release here. %Gallery-85675% [Thanks, Tobias]
Aiptek's tiny PenCam HD Trio camcorder looks more like a highlighter
Peoples' pants must be getting smaller, because so too are pocket camcorders shrinking down. Despite not making any dubious "world's smallest" claims, Aiptek's latest is one of the most slender we've seen that's able to shoot high-def video, and quite possibly the first with a 1.1-inch OLED screen on the back for previewing what your footage might look like on a First Class Forever stamp. It'll shoot video at 720p30, capture 5 megapixel stills, and record them both to 4GB of internal memory -- good for about two hours' worth of footage. You can upload to YouTube straight from the camera's (Windows-only) software, or spin it to your TV through the integrated HDMI port. It sounds like quite a nice little package, and while we wouldn't expect the video quality to knock anyone's proverbial socks off, given the brand we wouldn't expect a shockingly high price, either. But, that we can't say for sure, nor when these will be available. [Via OLED-Display.net]
VholdR ContourHD wearable HD camcorder hands-on and impressions
We've been toying with a VholdR ContourHD helmet cam for a few weeks now, seeing how well it blends in with our adrenaline-fueled lifestyle. We've mounted it on various helmets, tried it with some moderately extreme endeavors, and, now that we've had a chance to refill our asthma inhalers, we thought we'd share a few of those adventures and give our impressions of this helmet-mounted HD shooter.
Sony T90 point-and-shoot gets reviewed, liked
In an already overpopulated compact camera market, the Cyber-shot T90 solicits attention with a 16:9 touch-screen LCD and a sliding lens shield. The lads over at PC Mag grabbed one of these Sony shooters for an in-depth prodding and poking session to determine whether the external appeal of the camera is backed up by solid technology under the hood. Praise was meted out for image sharpness and 720p video recording, though battery life was found disappointing. For their full impressions, test results and an exhaustive spec sheet, hit the read link.
