camera

Camera the size of a credit card

It's not often you see a digital camera with resolution well under 1 megapixel anymore, but you don't often see any this thin either. The aptly named "Credit Card Digital Camera" is less than one-fifth of an inch thick and can easily slip into your shirt pocket. MobileWhack says the ultra-slim camera can store 26 1280x960 images on 8MB of built-in memory, record 40 seconds of video and even be used as a Webcam through its USB connection. And at $40, it's almost cheap enough to fall into the "disposable" category.

MP3 camera gets all lacquered up

When in doubt, change colors. Samsung has perfected that tactic, and it's applied the concept to its NV3 line of combo MP3-playing, 7-megapixel cameras.

The original model in basic black got a decent rating from fellow Craver Will Greenwald last year, but it appears that Samsung thought it was time for a makeover. But rather than slap on some cheap lipstick, the NV3 is now finished in stainless steel or, more exotically, "Oriental Plant Lacquer" that Gadget Candy says is environmentally friendly.

Oh, by the way, the price of these newly outfitted cameras is considerably higher--about $450 … Read more

GE jumps on digital camera bandwagon

Shrinking margins on low-end and midrange models. A handful of entrenched market leaders surrounded by a large halo of struggling wannabes. Companies pulling out of unprofitable markets--or pulling out of the line of business altogether. Slowing market growth. Increasing competition from convergence devices. Great opportunity for a newcomer.

That last one threw me, too. I'd think this would be a horrible time for a completely new digital camera company to poke its head through the soil. Clearly GE, and its new protégé, General Imaging, think differently. The latter company, formed by former bigwigs from places such … Read more

We'd rather have a crash helmet

The idea of a car-board black box doesn't bother us, despite the obvious issues of data privacy and commentary on modern society. We are, however, offended by another aspect: aesthetics.

Just take a look at the most recent version from Gadget Universe. Would you really want to mount one of these things on your dash or in the rear window of your car? It's almost as bad as a dog with a bobbing head.

Sure, it's possible that your recorded evidence could come in handy after an accident. But what if you were at fault because your … Read more

Mixing oil and water--for cell phone lenses

A French company called Varioptic has announced two camera modules designed for mobile phones and built around an unusual liquid-lens design.

Varioptic's Arctic 416 lens combines electrically conducing water with nonconducting oil in a sealed package. Depending on how electrical voltage is applied to the package, the boundary between the oil and water changes geometry, which has the effect of focusing light passing through the liquids.

Using this "electrowetting" technology, Varioptic promises compact lenses that focus quickly, consume little power, don't need moving parts and have good transparency to visible light.

The first module, the AFCM … Read more

Why that Canon lens costs $5,500

Newcomers to the digital SLR camera realm have no shortage of opportunities for sticker shock. Take, for example, Canon's EF 500mm F/4L IS USM lens, a 15-inch, 8.5-pound telephoto.

It costs about $5,500.

That's more than five times what I got when I sold my not-too-shabby car a while back.

But there's a reason that sticker is so high besides Canon's desire to transfer my salary to its coffers. Those suckers are expensive to make. Or at least that's the impression I got from watching an artful online propaganda video from Canon: … Read more

More opportunities for underwater photography

Look at this cute little guy. Don't you wish you took this picture?

Yeah, I don't really care either because he's not that colorful. But you might find it interesting to know that it was taken from underwater with a Nikon digital camera.

Fantasea (pronounced fantasy) just released another underwater housing for a Nikon Coolpix camera to allow photographers to plunge their gadgets into water, sand, dust and what have you.

The FS-9, available from Fantasea for about $200, fits the Nikon Coolpix S-9. The housing comes with an anti-glare hood over the camera's 2.5-inch … Read more

Will the FishCam catch you a delicious bass?

Remember that bird-watching gizmo that interprets bird calls for you? I could've sworn it would be considered anathema to the whole raison d'etre of the pastime. But then one of our editors, Harry Fuller, who happens to be really serious about bird-watching, said that it was actually a cool device. So maybe I'm wrong when I think that certain classic professions are being corrupted by geeky gadgets.

Nevertheless, I think this one is a little much. Called the FishCam, this device is a $362 souped-up fishing rod with a camera attached to the line so that you … Read more

The key to credit-card-thin cameras?

The biggest origami news of 2007 has nothing to do with Microsoft or ultramobile PCs.

Instead, thanks to centuries-old telescope technology reapplied to camera lenses by engineers at UC San Diego, the origami lens takes the cake.

At just one-seventh the thickness as a traditional lens, the origami system could significantly raise the resolution bar for camera phones. It might also make today's slimmest ultracompact cams seem like anvils.

The system borrows the folded optical system found in Cassegrain telescopes, but uses a single, diamond-cut optical crystal instead of a series of mirrors. The origami system bounces light through … Read more