CES - Digital cameras and video camcorders

LAS VEGAS--I've not been shy about admitting that I'm a big fan of Callpod's Chargepod. I've taken it on many trips and I love that I can charge my camera, cell phone, and MP3 player simultaneously. But not only that: leaving all those individual chargers at home saves room in my suitcase.

At CES the company raised the bar a bit higher, with the debut of the Chargepod V2. Like the first Chargepod, the V2 can power multiple gadgets at once, but it also includes adapters for powering your laptop (both Macs and PCs) and it … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Skype users, I have some good news.

There are currently quite a few high-definition Webcams on the market, but what faceVsion announced at CES 2010 is something rather unique, especially for video calling using Skype.

It's a new HD Webcam called the FV TouchCam N1 that's the result of a partnership between faceVsion and Skype. It's the first HD Webcam that's certified by Skype.

According to faceVsion, most existing HD Webcams suffer from the same barriers when it comes to HD video communication, especially when using Skype. These include the fact that CPU power is … Read more

LAS VEGAS--There's really very little to say about the DXG 3DView camcorder because it doesn't seem to exist yet. At least not in any sort of final form.

Outside the camera and camcorder manufacturer's booth at CES 2010 is a small setup of some 3D images being played back on a special screen. I got the impression that they weren't created with a DXG product--current or future--but simply a demonstration of what 3D looks like. Around the corner from this display, though, is this poster advertising the dual-lens 3DView camcorder. (Why the giant ram's … Read more

LAS VEGAS--In a surprising move, Panasonic announced just one updated HD camcorder product line at CES, its midrange consumer models. All three--the flash-based HDC-TM55 and HDC-SD60 and the hard disk-based HDC-HS60--have wider angle (35.7mm equivalent), longer 25X zoom lenses than their predecessors had, plus touch screens and wind filters. This is surprising not only because of the dearth of announcements, but because most competitors have incorporated backside-illuminated CMOS sensors into their 2010 products for better low light recording.

The TM55 has 8GB of built-in memory, but the SD60 has none; all now support SDXC. The HS60 has a 120GB … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Everyone knows that applying special effects is a great way of salvaging bad photos; now, Casio's turned that into a product. Its new Digital Art Frame "transforms ordinary digital photographs into works of fine art." In doing so, Casio transforms an ordinary digital photo frame into a work of fine marketing.

The frame also incorporates Casio's Dynamic Photo, which automatically composites video on selected photos. Don't worry if that looks bad--not because it's necessarily a stupid feature, but because getting two separately shot things to look good together is very tricky--because you can … Read more

Canon on Thursday announced three new wireless photo transfer accessories for its higher-end digital SLR models, adding the ability to simultaneously shoot with 10 linked cameras and other new features.

The wireless file transmitter devices, which mount to the SLR camera bodies, are the WFT-E2 II A, available this quarter for the EOS-1D Mark IV; the WFT-E4 II A, available now for the EOS 5D Mark II; and the WFT-E5A, available now for the EOS 7D. Each transmitter costs $700--more than an entire lower-end SLR and lens--but provides a variety of options to connect devices to the cameras and to … Read more

LAS VEGAS--At last year's CES, Sony broke new ground with its prosumer camcorders. This year, the company offers modest upgrades across the product lines.

Like many competitors, Sony's rolling out its Exmor-R back-illuminated CMOS further down the product line. Plus, the company incorporates the image stabilization improvements and other features it rolled out with the CX520V in July. One potential new crowd-pleaser is a Golf Shot mode, which continually buffers video until it hears the club hit the ball, then saves the previous 1.5-seconds-worth of frames, plus 0.5 second after, for a single 22 frame sequence. … Read more

If you were considering picking up a $350 pocket megazoom camera, you might want to hold off until March when Sony ships the Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V. The camera features a high-quality Sony G 25mm-equivalent lens with a 10x optical zoom, a 10-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and built-in GPS and compass.

It also can capture video at full HD (1,920x1,080 at 60i) in AVCHD format; it supports HDMI out; and there's improved optical stabilization to help control shake while you're on the move.

The camera supports both Memory Stick Pro Duo and SDHC cards in addition to TransferJet … Read more

LAS VEGAS--I really like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 for all that it is, but, like most first versions, there was room for improvement. The follow-up, the DSC-TX7, announced Wednesday at CES 2010 looks to be a solid step up.

It's still using a back-illuminated Exmor R 10-megapixel sensor. It gets a new 25mm-equivalent wide-angle lens to work with, though, and on back is a larger, 3.5-inch LCD with a 921K-dot resolution. And before I go too much further, let me point out that it's one of two new Sony cameras to capture video at full HD (1,… Read more