ultracompacts

Judging by the user reviews for the Coolpix S70, people either loved it or wanted to find a Nikon executive nearby so they could personally smash them in the face with it. Its update, the Coolpix S80, hopefully inspires more of the former and less of the latter with a new touch-screen display and interface and some extra shooting features.

The camera body is redesigned and slightly slimmer, but still packs a 3.5-inch OLED touch screen, though this time around it has an 819K-dot resolution. To minimize screen clutter while shooting, Nikon uses a tabbed interface, which is good … Read more

In 2009, Nikon released the Coolpix S1000pj, a compact camera that had one very notable feature: a built-in projector for on-the-spot viewing of photos and videos. It was otherwise a fairly standard point-and-shoot, and since you couldn't beam content other than what was taken with the camera, it definitely fell under "niche product"--especially at $430. It was a solid idea, though, so it's nice to see a second generation on its way in the form of the S1100pj.

This time around the 14-megapixel camera is fuller featured, but most importantly you can connect it to … Read more

It's about time. The Samsung PL90 is an ultracompact point-and-shoot with little to offer beyond automatic shooting with one exception: it has a flip-out USB connector. This is a feature Flip Video and other minicamcorder manufacturers have been doing for years now. The connector can be used for quickly transferring photos and videos off the camera without removing the memory card or looking for a USB cable. You can also use it to charge the battery.

Why has this feature taken so long to make its way to a camera? My guess is cost and size, which explains why … Read more

Samsung announced Wednesday the ST80, a 14-megapixel ultracompact digital camera with a 3x optical zoom, a 3-inch touch-screen LCD, and built-in Wi-Fi. The ST80 joins the company's other Wi-Fi-enabled camera, the CL80, on my list of "I'll believes it when I sees it" Wi-Fi-enabled cameras.

The camera comes equipped with an account for mobile hot-spot provider Boingo, for access to more than 120,000 Wi-Fi hot spots around the world. It can also connect to DLNA-supported electronics (Digital Living Network Alliance) for sharing photos and video wirelessly between devices.

We've yet to see a Wi-Fi-enabled … Read more

As I mentioned back at the end of June, camera manufacturers are beginning to announce models for the second half of 2010. Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, and Samsung have made their announcements, three of them doing so early Wednesday morning.

Sony and Panasonic are launching mostly high-end models as well as a couple updates to older, popular models. Samsung refreshed its flagship DualView cameras and introduced a 7x zoom ultracompact for $180. And Fujifilm announced replacements to three models that were barely six months old as well as a significant update to its groundbreaking F200EXR.

Here are links to all the … Read more

There's no reason to drag this out, so I'm going to keep it short. Wednesday, Samsung announced updates to its flagship DualView ultracompact cameras, the TL225 and TL200. You may know them better as the ones with the secondary LCD in front next to the lens. The 14-megapixel ST600 and ST100 are the new versions.

The ST600 gets a 27mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 5x zoom, while the ST100 has a 35mm-equivalent internal lens with a 5x zoom. Both have 3.5-inch LCDs on back and 1.8-inch LCDs in front; the front screens are 0.3-inch larger … Read more

There are apparently two types of rugged camera buyers. One type is willing to hand over $300 to $400 for a pocket camera that's waterproof down to 33 feet, shockproof from drops up to 6.6 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. The other type wants something more durable than a regular ultracompact: waterproof to approximately 10 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course it should be less expensive, too. Panasonic's DMC-TS2 is covers the former, while the DMC-TS10 is perfect for the latter.

The TS10 is similar in design to … Read more

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700 sounds like a camera created at a feature buffet. For starters, you got your bright f2.2, 24mm-equivalent ultrawide-angle lens with a 5x zoom, your 3-inch touch screen, and your 14-megapixel high-speed MOS sensor.

Next, throw in a full HD 1080p movie mode, recording in AVCHD at 30 frames per second at up to 17Mbps. Pair that with a full-resolution burst mode at 10 frames per second for up to 15 shots and a handheld low-light option for reduced blur and noise.

Then add on a stereo mic and top it all off with the company'… Read more

Like failed sitcoms canceled halfway through a season, Fujifilm is giving the ax to three of its cameras from the first half of 2010. Fujifilm is replacing the FinePix Z700EXR, S1800, and JX250 that it announced February 1 with the Z800EXR, S2800HD, and JX280, respectively. I didn't review the three outgoing models, so I can't say if there was anything necessarily wrong with them. It seems Fujifilm just wanted to retool the models with some new features.

For example, the Z800EXR has a new version of the company's 12-megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor that has a high-speed hybrid autofocus system. Using both Contrast AF and Phase Detection AF, the camera is able to measure the amount of light or contrast in the scene and pick the AF system that will focus the fastest. Also added is improved image stabilization so there's less need to use higher ISOs when using the 5x zoom lens or in low-light conditions. Now it can take panorama shots at 180, 240, or 360 degrees with a sweep of the camera. It retains the prior versions full-metal body and 460K-pixel, 3.5-inch touch screen, too. The FinePix Z800EXR will be available in late August 2010 at a retail price of $229.95, which is really cheap.… Read more