January 4, 2007 12:01 AM PST

Fujifilm announces new cameras for CES

by Will Greenwald

Fujifilm FinePix F40

Fujifilm is gearing up for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by announcing a handful of new cameras just a week before the show. Budget-minded shooters will be pleased by news of two new FinePix A-series, while fans of family photos can look forward to the face-detecting follow-up to the FinePix F20. Finally, scientists and law enforcement professionals have a sub-$1000 infrared camera to look forward to in the coming months.

A pair of budget shooters replace the FinePix A600, the FinePix A800 and the A610. Both sub-$200 models are simple cameras, with the 3x optical zoom lenses and 2.5-inch LCD screens that are now standard on most inexpensive point-and-shoots. As one of the first 8-megapixel cameras we've seen with a price tag below $200, the A800 is the most notable of the pair. At a scant $180, it sports an 8-megapixel SuperCCD sensor and a top sensitivity of ISO 800. In contrast, the FinePix A610 is simply a slightly upgraded version of the FinePix A600, with a 6-megapixel SuperCCD sensor, a top sensitivity of ISO 400, and a $130 price tag. Both cameras are scheduled to ship in March 2007.

Also on Fujifilm's upcoming list is the FinePix F40fd. This upgraded, 8-megapixel version of the FinePix F20 features the same face-detection technology found on the high-zoom FinePix S6000fd, and its SuperCCD can take full-resolution shots at as high as ISO 2,000. Besides those two features, the F40fd seems like a standard high-resolution point-and-shoot camera, with the cookie-cutter combination of a 3x lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The FinePix F40fd will ship in March 2007 and retail at $300.

Lastly, the company will announce the offbeat IS-1. This infrared camera is a scaled-down, spiritual follow-up to the infrared- and ultraviolet-capable S3 Pro UVIR. The S3 Pro UVIR is intended primarily for forensics specialists and law enforcement professionals, but the IS-1 is designed for astronomers and other scientists. This 9-megapixel model features a fixed 28mm-to-300mm-equivalent, 10.7x zoom lens as well as a live-view LCD for framing shots sans viewfinder. With a SuperCCD sensor that spans both visible and infrared light, the IS-1 offers an inexpensive alternative to the significantly more expensive S3 Pro UVIR. The Fujifilm IS-1 will ship in February 2007 and will cost gadgeteers, scientists, and investigators $900.