REVIEW: Panasonic prices its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera

 

Panasonic has just announced that it will be rolling out its new Lumix DMC-FH7 digital camera at a price point that ought to be pocket friendly – we are looking at $179.99 here, where the Lumix DMC–FH7 will arrive later next month. Coming in just pure black, this is one digital camera that will feature a slim form factor that has a stylish design, making it a snap to tote around with intuitive touch-controls to get you familiarized with its 3″ Smart Touch Screen.


The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7′s Smart Touch Screen will let you take full advantage of Touch Auto Focus (AF), Touch Zoom, Touch Shutter and Intelligent Scene Selector through simple taps on its touchscreen display, while there is also a trio of modes that will offer manual creative control – something that more seasoned digital camera users would be pleased to have before making the move over to the world of digital SLRs.


All it takes is a single touch of a finger for you to perform edits of your shots on the digital camera itself, where among them include Beauty Retouch that lets you retouch faces; while Esthetic will create effects on faces including clearing skin texture and whitening teeth. Last but not least, there is the interesting Makeup feature which allows you color options such as foundation, eye-shadow or coloring for the lips and cheeks.

As mentioned earlier, the Lumix DMC-FH7 is not slouch when it comes to the style department, but that does not mean it is a pushover in terms of performance. No sir, with Leica DC lenses that boast of an impressive 4x optical zoom, this device is capable of shooting high definition video at 1280 x 720p resolution at a smooth 24 fps, with Panasonic’s iA technology making the entire process simple and intuitive.

With the Lumix image uploader, you are able to share your recently taken photos over Facebook, while video can be uploaded to YouTube directly with the camera connected to your computer. Panasonic’s Venus Engine VI image processor is also smart enough to automatically detect outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation which results in naturally clear images. Apart from that, this is a multitasking engine that supports a super-fast response time, boasting of a shutter release time lag that is incredibly quick at approximately 0.006 seconds. Anyone up for a new digital camera?

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REVIEW: Panasonic prices their camcorders for the masses

Panasonic knows that the right price ought to be enough to entice even the most hardened consumer, and they decided to do something about it by announcing the different prices for their new range of full High Definition mobile cameras and camcorders, where the latter comprise of the HM-TA20 and HM-TA2, with the HX-WA10, the HX-DC10 and the HX-DC1 making up the former.


All of these five new models will arrive at the US market from early next month onwards, at price points that ought to keep most people happy – the HMT-TA20 will cost $199.99 while the HM-TA2 goes for $169.99. Other prices include $349.99 for the HX-WA10; $279.99 for the HX-DC10; and $199.99 for the HX-DC1. With that in mind, you can see that not one of them cost more than $350, letting it fall under the magical $500 impulse purchase limit for most folks.


First of all, a quick refresher course on just what these devices are capable of – the HM-TA20 is a full-HD mobile camera, where it will come with a rugged design which will be able to help you live the active lifestyle, including watersports (but not scuba diving, of course). Waterproof to approximately 10 feet, it is also shockproof if you decide not to let it fall for more than 5 feet, while being dustproof with the Night View Mode helps you shoot exceptional video and photos, even in low-light conditions.

With a tiny form factor that is compact to tote around anywhere, working with a tough exterior, this is the ultimate video camera when you take portability into consideration. Other hardware features include a relatively large, 3″ Touch LCD display, full HD recording capability in MPEG-4 AVC file format (MP4), built-in software that requires no CD to install and a webcam function when connected to your computer.
As for the Panasonic HM-TA2, this is also a compact and mobile camera that has all the same features as that of the HM-TA20, although it isn’t waterproof, dustproof and shockproof, so you would do well to be a whole lot more careful when carrying this around.

With so many models to choose from, which one would you choose?

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Camcorders Vs Digital Cameras

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Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150

The cooler than cool Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 drew big crowds at the 2008 NAB Show. Why? Simply because it offers an unheard of Bang for the Buck, in a 1/3 inch three chip hand held tapeless HD camcorder, while retaining the core versatility of the DVX100B. Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 sports a 28mm lens right out of the box and a new PH Record mode (21 Mbps) which offers higher resolution with a host of recording formats including 24p.

Add to that, amazing low light performance, long record and battery time and professional Audio capabilities at a price that will make it an instant hit with a wide range of AV Shooters, Indie creators and Event video professionals. Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 represents a major step forward in the introduction of a next generation solid state HD camera that extends the six year successful track record of the popular DVX100 plus a lot more.

Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150’s lightweight (lightest 1/3 inch 3CCD available), well balanced professional design features a high performance wide angle Leica 13X zoom lens, 24 and 30 frame progressive capture, both in 720 and 1080 formats, making it perfect for even high level projects. Designed from a clean sheet of paper with much customer input to Panasonic's product development engineers, Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 sports a Die Cast Alloy chassis and a Three year warranty (upon customer registration) that further endorses its reliability.

Using the latest in compression technology (AVC High Profile) and widely available SD memory cards as the recording media, Panasonic Pro AG-HMC150 is as easy to use as a digital still camera. The content recorded on the SD card can be directly played on a growing number of affordable consumer players, including select models of Playstation 3, Blu-ray players, plasma screens and PC’s. With most NLE systems now supporting AVCHD, content can be edited and rendered to play in any type of SD or HD playback system.

Dynamic Range Stretch
With DRS ON your customer can capture better Video quality when shooting bright, halftone and dark objects in the same frame. (Bride’s white gown details and the Groom’s shades of tuxedo black.) This clever circuit estimates the gamma curve and knee slope of each pixel’s brightness and applies the estimate on a real time basis. The result is more accurate Video with a visually wider dynamic range.

Features

• Full range of HD formats : 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native); 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
• Higher bit-rate recording than consumer models (21 Mbps PH Mode)
• Three latest design 1/3 inch CCD Progressive Imagers
• 13X Wide angle 28mm lens out of the box (35mm equiv.), MOD .6 M, 72mm Ø (Shoot in confined spaces with no need to buy an accessory lens)
• Time Date Stamp for Legal Depositions or surveillance
• Waveform Monitor, Vectorscope plus two Focus displays for accurate, quick focus
• Professional XLR audio input connections
• Time code (DF, NDF, REC RUN, FREE RUN) and USER BIT
• HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video Out and RCA Audio Out jacks
• External Time Code Link (Slave & Master Preset) uses the Composite Video Out terminal
• USB 2.0 for file transfer (no need for a VTR)
• 3.5 inch LCD monitor displays thumbnails for quick non-linear access to clips
• Remote control connection for Zoom, Focus, Iris, and start and stop functions
• 14 bit A to D converter and 19 bit Image processing
• Cinelike Gamma &, DRS Dynamic Range Stretch (Filmaker requested features)
• Three Neutral Density Filters 1/4, 1/16, 1/64
• Pre-Record (3 Seconds), Digital Zoom 2X / 5X / 10X (in 1080/60i & 720/60p only)
• Three User Set Buttons with 11 choices for customizing Camera to Shooter

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Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD

Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD handheld combines Full HD AVCHD video recording with high resolution 10.6 megapixel still photo capture, giving you the benefits of two professional cameras in one affordable package. Compact and lightweight, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD is a versatile HD camcorder offering high quality AVCHD recordings, high resolution still photo capture, an easy to use SD card workflow, and professional audio capabilities for a wide range of applications and markets including schools, government agencies, event videographers, web designers and more.

With a full resolution 3 megapixel, 1/4 inch 3MOS imager, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD produces stunning 1920 x 1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6 megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image. The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required).

And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices. With a full resolution 3 megapixel, 1/4 inch 3MOS imager, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD produces stunning 1920x1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6 megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image.

The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required). And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices. The camcorder's advanced Leica Dicomar lens system offers 12X optical zoom, wide angle setting (40.8mm) and an optical image stabilizer (O.I.S.) feature for precise shooting. The compact camera is also packed with professional video and audio features (HDMI out, date or time stamp, remote zoom, XLR option, etc.).

Using high capacity SD memory cards, Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD provides hours of beautiful high definition recordings at professional level bit rates. It records in a range of 1080 and 720 formats with all four professional AVCCAM recording modes PH mode (average 21 Mbps or Max 24Mbps), the HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), the HG mode (approx.13 Mbps), HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). AVCCAM offers the benefit of a fast, file based workflow using widely available and reasonably priced SD memory cards.

Technical Details

• HD formats : 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native) 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
• Three latest design 1/4.1 Progressive 3MOS Imagers for full HD resolution
• Long record time : 3 hours with included battery (7 hours continuous with 5.800mAh Battery)
• Touch Panel 2.7 inch Widescreen LCD displays Thumbnails & Audio Metering
• HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video and Stereo Audio Out with included cable

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Sony HVR-HD1000U

Sony HVR-HD1000U was created to meet the growing demand from users who are looking for mobility and professional appearance. This camcorder features a shoulder mount design and black matte body similar to that of professional camcorders making it perfect for weddings, corporate communications, colleges, universities, and sporting events where appearance makes a difference. Premium design characteristics and high definition HDV1080i recording are the main features of this new one piece shoulder camcorder, ideal for working videographers on a budget.

A built-in down converter creates DV material, perfect for standard DVD productions. Plus, a special still photo mode is ideal for producing DVD cases and making wedding photo albums. Whether you are recording weddings and corporate communications or helping students make a documentary, Sony HVR-HD1000U is the best choice on the market today as an entry level professional camcorder.

The next generation of Sony imaging sensor, the ClearVid CMOS Sensor used in Sony HVR-HD1000U camcorder, is quite unique and different from current CMOS technology. The ClearVid CMOS Sensor uses a unique pixel layout rotated 45 degrees to provide high resolution and high sensitivity. This pixel layout technology is also used in higher end professional camcorders. The ClearVid CMOS Sensor, coupled with an Enhanced Imaging Processor (EIP), generates stunning images. Moreover, thanks to the CMOS technology, bright objects do not cause vertical smear.

Sony HVR-HD1000U offers benefits for SD productions, as well as HD. It is easy to use HDV recordings for your current DV editing work. Sony HVR-HD1000U has a down conversion feature that outputs converted DV signals through the i.LINK connector to your current DV non-linear editing system, while retaining an HD master on the tape for future use. Furthermore, Sony HVR-HD1000U offers a DV recording mode (4:3 or 16:9), which can provide a recording time of approximately 120 minutes in LP mode.

Technical Details

• Enhanced mobility and professional aesthetic with this shoulder mount design and black matte body
• HDV1080i recordings can be captured on DigitalMaster professional tape as well as consumer MiniDV
• Built-in down converter creates DV material, perfect for standard DVD productions
• Easy viewing with this large, freely rotating 2.7 inch LCD screen
• Features a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonner T lens with 10x optical zoom
  

Price : $1,574.00

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Sony HDR-FX7

Shoot like a pro with Sony HDR-FX7 High Definition Handycam(R) camcorder. Capture amazing video and still images in high definition with the first HDV 1080i 3 CMOS sensor consumer level camcorder and player in the world. The three 1/4" ClearVID CMOS Sensors provide stunning detail and precision, while a 20x Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Lens maintains image clarity. Since Sony HDR-FX7 records video in high definition, you can dual record still images at the same time.

So no matter what the occasion, Sony HDR-FX7 is the perfect camcorder for the situation. A Sony developed Real Time MPEG Encode/Decode system with reduced energy consumption and compact size to fit inside a personal camcorder. This provides efficient MPEG2 compression, and recording and playback of clear HD images at the same bit rate of the DV format, so that High Definition video can be recorded on the same cassettes as are used for MiniDV recording.

From the authority in lens technology, the Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens provides a high quality 20x optical zoom which maintains image clarity and color while reducing glare and flare. Dual independent zoom and focus rings provide precise and detailed control over the amount of zoom and the overall focus of the image with just a turn of the rings. Fast, intuitive framing when zooming, and finely detailed focusing is easy with the natural "feel" of the rings.

Easily adjust the amount of light entering the lens by adjusting exposure brightness in accordance with the iris and gain. The Iris control allows the volume of light to be adjusted (shutter speed and gain are adjustable). Though not small enough to carry with you to Disney, this camcorder opens up new opportunities for serious amateur and semi professionals to record videos suitable for play on new widescreen HDTV sets.

Technical Details

• Record and play back HDV 1080i video : switchable recording in standard definition
• ClearVid CMOS sensor : 20x optical zoom
• Wide 3.5 inch Hybrid Touch Panel Clear Photo LCD Plus display
• Capture 1.2 megapixel stills to Memory Stick Duo
• Professional 62mm Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T lens

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Canon EOS 7D

Canon basically ceded the entry level pro performance market to Nikon in 2005 with the arrival of the D200 since then, Canon's 30D, 40D, and 50D have taken the slower but less expensive road, with a relatively stagnant AF system, which Nikon leapfrogged. But with entirely new AF and metering systems, a new high resolution eight channel readout sensor coupled with dual Digic 4 image processors and a new 100 percent coverage viewfinder, plus 1080p video capture, Canon EOS 7D looks like an aggressive attempt to make a comeback.

In addition to a body only version, Canon sells Canon EOS 7D in a kit with the 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS lens (44.8-216mm equivalent). One of the heavier single grip dSLRs available, there are no radical design departures in Canon EOS 7D but there are tons of subtle, and a few conspicuous, interface changes that greatly enhance the fluidity of the camera's operation. The new viewfinder is great, comparable with that of the D300s big and bright, with an optional overlay grid.

It's also slightly more comfortable than the D300s' because of the larger eyecup. Adding to its traditional array of buttons for metering, white balance, autofocus, drive mode, ISO sensitivity, and flash compensation Canon EOS 7D now includes an M-Fn button used to cycle through the AF point options, plus Canon brings the LCD illumination button into action for registering the orientation linked AF points. Unfortunately, the buttons are very difficult to differentiate by feel, and the M-Fn and illumination buttons are even smaller and harder to use than the others.

Following trends in consumer dSLR design, Canon EOS 7D now also has an interactive control panel for changing frequently accessed settings, called up with the Q button. Canon went from very few AF options to a gazillion in one model. Of course, there's the veteran full automatic AF selection. Spot AF is a subarea of the traditional single point AF, and for both of these you can choose from any of the 19 AF points. AF point expansion uses the three or four (depending upon location) points surrounding the chosen one.

Zone AF is similar to AF point expansion in that it allows you to define clumps of points in the center, top, bottom, or sides of the full AF area, but in contrast to expansion, where you still choose the primary focus point and it only uses the other points if the subject moves, the camera automatically chooses points from within the defined zone. The bulk of these are really designed to improve focus tracking during continuous shooting, and, much like Nikon's AF system, you have to think very carefully about matching the AF choice with the shooting situation or you can end up with surprising results.

Ditto for the flexible global and lens specific micro-adjustment tools, which it carries over from the higher end models. Very few users need all of these options, and Canon provides a solid interface for enabling or disabling the choices to minimize on the fly confusion. In Live View mode you have three AF options Live mode (contrast AF), face detect Live mode AF, or Quick AF (the "traditional" faster Live View AF, which uses the faster phase detection scheme but requires more mirror flipping).

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Samsung SC-HMX20C

With its attractive, well rounded, capsule shaped body, Samsung SC-HMX20C looks pretty slick, but its design makes it a bit awkward to hold. The curve of the camera makes one handed operation tricky, it's difficult to keep a steady grip, since you have to slightly unwrap your fingers to reach key recording controls like start and stop and zoom. Alternatively, you can swivel the right handed grip backward to a 45 degree angle but that just makes tapping the main controls on top of the camcorder even more awkward.

There's no optical viewfinder, but the 2.7 inch LCD touch screen offers a wide viewing angle and a responsive user interface. Samsung SC-HMX20C duplicates its zoom and recording controls to the left of the display. If you use these controls instead of the ones up top, you may be able to keep a steadier grip with your right hand. Samsung earns points for compactness; the 1.01 pound camcorder measures only 2.60 by 2.65 by 5.47 inches (HWD). Like Sony's HDR-SR11, Samsung SC-HMX20C features face detection technology while you're shooting, a green box tracks faces within the frame.

In my test shots, the camera had no trouble quickly identifying and autofocusing on faces. You get a 10X zoom lens, which is standard for the majority of models in this price range, though the aforementioned Sony gives you 12X. Like most camcorders in this price range, this Samsung uses a CMOS sensor with a focal length of 6.3mm to 63mm, with f-stops at f/1.8 and f/2.8. It captures still images of up to 4 megapixels. According to Samsung, Samsung SC-HMX20C can store 3 hours 10 minutes of video at highest quality (1.920 by 1.080 interlaced at 60 frames per second).

For additional storage, there's a slot for MMC+ or SD Memory cards (card not included). Like any tapeless camcorder, playback on the Samsung is a dream. You can quickly jump between segments of video with hours between them (like skipping through chapters on a DVD). A tape based camcorder like the Canon Vixia HV30, on the other hand, forces you to rewind and fast forward, the same way you'd cue up a VHS tape.

Video recorded by Samsung SC-HMX20C doesn't look bad not, that is, until you compare it with the Canon and Sony models with the same resolution (1.920 by 1.080i). The overall color tone of video is quite dark and underexposed. Footage shot heading down a subway staircase, for example, was extremely dark and showed no detail at all. In the same shot, the Canon and Sony footage picked up shadows and small cracks in the walls.

The Canon and Sony models record in AVCHD format, which creates larger files with more video information, while Samsung SC-HMX20C records in the smaller MPEG 4 format. Samsung SC-HMX20C also has issues with purple fringing in high contrast areas a problem it shares with the Canon HV30 and the JVC Everio GZ-HD10. Purple halos outlined buildings against white clouds, and indoors, ceiling lights were outlined in purple. The Sony HDR-SR11 is the only camcorder of this bunch that showed absolutely no fringing.

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Pure Digital Flip UltraHD

Pure Digital Flip UltraHD looks like the first Flip Ultra. The original's white casing has been replaced with a slicker matte black, and its gray sides have been swapped out for reflective silver. The retractable USB arm mechanism on the camera's right side is the same, but below it, a mini HDMI jack has supplanted the TV out port (although, unlike the Creative's $230 Vado Pocket Video Cam HD, there's no mini HDMI cable included). On the left side, the sliding power switch has been replaced by a button.

The rear controls remain in roughly the same configuration Record in the middle of a navigation wheel with buttons for Play and Trash on either side but have been enlarged so they're easier to press. The most significant aesthetic change here is the larger screen 2 inches up from the original's 1.5. The display is also much sharper than that of any previous Flip. The built in speaker, which runs along the top of the screen, has also been improved for noticeably clearer playback sound.

Another improvement can be found by sliding the front of the device Pure Digital has replaced Pure Digital Flip UltraHD's formerly disposable batteries with a pair of rechargeable AAs, which charge when the camera is plugged into a USB port. With the batteries in place, Pure Digital Flip UltraHD weighs slightly more than its predecessor (5.9 ounces instead of 5). The batteries take a lengthy seven hours to fully charge. The 8GB storage capacity of Pure Digital Flip UltraHD is twice that of the Mino HD, and thus yields roughly 120 minutes of HD recording.

This will likely be more than enough to get you by until the next time you're in front of a computer (especially given YouTube's 10 minute video length maximum). If not, you're out of luck Pure Digital Flip UltraHD doesn't include an SD slot for expansion. Unlike other most other HD pocket camcorders, such as the Kodak Zi6, for example, Pure Digital Flip UltraHD shoots only in high definition. (Similarly, Pure Digital Flip UltraHD only records in SD.) At 720p (1280 by 720 pixels, 30fps, H.264 compressed, MPEG encoded) the quality of video files is quite good for a pocket camcorder roughly on par with the Vado HD and the Mino HD.

But not all situations require HD, and it's nice to have the option of shooting in a lower resolution, particularly if upload times are a concern. The microphone is better than the one on the original Ultra, although it still has trouble picking up sounds more than a few feet away from the camera. Like the MinoHD, Pure Digital Flip UltraHD packs Pure Digital's basic FlipShare software, which works with Macs and PCs and offers very basic editing and direct uploading to sites like YouTube. Pure Digital Flip UltraHD doesn't offer much in the way of a built in menu system beyond its "Get Started" setting, which lets you adjust basic items like the date and camera tones.

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Sony Webbie HD

The pocket sized Sony Webbie HD camera is your perfect companion, ready to record antics at a moment's notice. Not only does it record HD MP4 video that plays nicely with sites like YouTube, it also snaps off sharp, 5 megapixel still shots with ease. Cram up to 8.5 hours of HD video footage or thousands of photos on ultra small Memory Stick PRO Duo media. Sony Webbie HD comes in orange, silver and eggplant.

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Canon Vixia HV30

Canon Vixia HV30's user interface is similar to that of Canon point and shoot cameras like the PowerShot SD790 IS. It's flat, uses big block text, and has only four colors. The menus are drab compared with those of the Sony and Samsung camcorders, which are projected over images on colorful touch screens in a way that gives them a 3D feeling. What's worse, Canon Vixia HV30, unlike the hard drive based Sony or JVC Everio GZ-HD10, can bog you down with its in video navigation.

You can't jump through recorded video via DVD style chapter menus, but instead need to fast forward and rewind manually to get to the spot you're looking for on the miniDV tape. For some people, though, tape based recording is preferable. If you're the kind of person who will rarely have your camcorder cross paths with your computer, then the miniDV format of Canon Vixia HV30 isn't a major drawback. MiniDV requires much less maintenance than drive based camcorders do.

When you run out of room on a tape (each one holds 60 to 120 minutes of video, depending on quality), you just slap in a new one in and you're good to go. Once the memory on, say, the Sony HD-SR11 is full, you have transfer the video to your computer before you can shoot more. Image quality in video produced by Canon Vixia HV30 was terrific. The only flaw was that, like the Samsung SC-HMZ20C and JVC Everio GZ-HD10, Canon Vixia HV30 produced images that showed a trace amount of purple fringing in high contrast areas (where ceiling lights meet dark ceilings, for example), but the fringing was not as pronounced as with the other two models.

(Sony's HDR-SR11, on the other hand, showed no fringing whatsoever.) When moving from indoor to outdoor lighting, Canon Vixia HV30 had no trouble auto adjusting white balance, so colors always looked accurate. Even though it doesn't feature face detection, as the Samsung and the Sony do, the camcorder was still quick to autofocus on faces. Images were sharp, too 0.75 inch text was legible on screen in footage that was shot from more than 10 feet away. Canon Vixia HV30 has some interesting recording options. It can capture 1.920 by 1.080 high def video in three different modes 60 fps interlaced, 30 fps progressive, and 24 fps progressive.

Thirty fps, the speed at which many TV shows are shot, is great for extracting frames from the video to use as still images. The 24 fps option simulates motion captured on film a very cool effect. In test video shot at 24 fps, the on camera motion did look noticeably different than in comparable 60 fps video. Video editing software isn't included. Canon's bundled "Digital Video Solutions Disc" is misleadingly titled at best. The software doesn't capture video, only still images. The camcorder's HDV video format, though, is compatible with many third party video editing programs.

Mac users can rely on Apple's iMovie '08 (included on newer Macs running Leopard), and PC users should turn to Microsoft's Movie Maker 6 (part of Windows Vista). The top of the camcorder houses a slot Canon calls the "Accessory Shoe." Canon branded accessories, such as lights and shotgun stereo microphones, can snap onto this slot to add more functionality to Canon Vixia HV30. You may not need an extra mic, though. Sound produced by the built in stereo recording on the HV30 was superb not as outstanding as the Sony HD-SR11's built in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround recording, but remarkable nonetheless.

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Kodak Zi8

We've been messing around with Kodak's latest pocket camcorder, the Zi8, and find the shooter to be an interesting hybrid. With a flip out USB plug, HDMI out and an easily accessible SD card slot, this is clearly a "premium" mix of features for the class, but the $180 price tag keeps the device firmly grounded in Walmart friendly reality. Other odd perks like a line in jack and 1080p have us scratching our heads but in a good way. Overall, we'd feel pretty comfortable saying the footage is about the best you can obtain at this price point.

Colors are great, the image stabilization isn't a gimmick (sorry, Flip), and if you squint hard enough you can almost believe the 1080p is 1080p. Still, the camera is hampered by its cheap approach to processing and compressing the footage it's taking in despite its limitations, we'd say the iPhone 3GS is besting most cheap pocket camcorders on this front, motion just looks much more fluid. But don't take our word for it, check out a couple of video samples after the break.

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Olympus E-P2

There's not exactly much in the way of specifics on either of these just yet, but the usually reliable French magazine, Chasseur d'Image, has seemingly revealed in its latest issue that Olympus will be rolling out its E-P1 followup, the E-P2, before the end of the year, and that Leica will be releasing its M8 successor, the M9, as soon as September. The real kicker is that the E-P2 is said to be bringing with it an oft desired viewfinder, while the M9 will reportedly be a full-frame camera, and presumably cost more than a small car. Of course, neither are anywhere close to being official, but it may not be the worst idea to stick with your current gear a little while longer to see how things shake out.

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Altek T8680

There once was a time when a 12 megapixel cameraphone would have been laughed at, and, though many are still smirking (guilty), a reality that Altek wants desperately to be a part of with its T8680 handset. Its face looks rather like a PMP with a 3 inch WQVGA LCD, but on the back is the standard sort of 3x pop-out zoom that you'd expect on a compact shooter, sitting next to a tiny xenon flash.

It'll capture unnecessarily high resolution images while being crippled to VGA video, play back MP3 and AAC files, and tune into the Weekly Top 40 over FM. Yes, it'll even make calls, but with only tri-band GSM/EDGE support don't expect to e-mail those gigantic pictures directly from the phone. The T8680 is expected to hit Chinese retailers in about a month for 3000 yuan (about $440), and probably won't be making much of an appearance elsewhere.

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Canon PowerShot SD880 IS

The 10 megapixel PowerShot SD880 IS Digital Elph is the follow up to the popular SD870 IS, and what a worthy successor it is. It's capable of producing truly excellent pictures for a camera of its size and it has nice components for a sub $300 model including a wide angle lens and optical image stabilization. There are a couple weaknesses, but nothing that keeps it from being an excellent point and shoot camera.

At 6.3 ounces and measuring 3.7 inches wide by 2.2 inches high by 0.9 inch deep, it'll fit more comfortably in a pants or coat pocket than a shirt pocket, but it's by no means big. Compared with the SD870 IS, the SD880 IS has the latest version of Canon's image processing engine, Digic 4, jumps from 8 megapixels to 10, and offers a few more scene modes. The 4x f2.8-5.8 28-112mm lens is a highlight of the camera the wide angle is so nice to have on a camera this small, and it's a tad longer zoom than on the SD870.

It also records video using the H.264 codec instead of Motion JPEG. The directional pad is pretty standard; instead it's the thumb dial that adds interest here. In SCN mode, the dial is used for rifling through your options. It's also used for swapping between Auto and Program in Shooting mode and tone control in Video. It works well, but you can barely feel stops when spinning the dial making it just a little too easy to switch out of whichever mode you want.

The dial can be used for navigating Menu settings, too. Overall, I like the key design and wheel, but I can also see it confusing new users to the point of frustration. The buttons have a pillowy, convex shape, which is not only attractive, but makes for unmistakable presses. The Print and Share button can be turned into a shortcut key to access one of nine shooting functions. As for performance, the SD880 IS is fractionally slower than the first rate SD870 IS.

Time to first shot is 1.2 seconds and you can shoot again in 1.9 seconds. Shutter lag was great just 0.4 second in bright conditions and 0.8 in dim. The only marked decrease in speed is if you're using the flash. The shot to shot time extends to 3.2 seconds, which is a generally slow time and nearly a second longer than the SD870 IS. The typical burst speed is a respectable 1.4 frames per second.

The 3 inch Canon PureColor LCD II performed well in direct light and has a wide viewing angle. More impressive than the SD880 IS's speed is the picture quality. Colors were always natural and vibrant. White balance was accurate and pictures showed good detail and sharpness at ISO 200 and below. Also, if you take a lot of landscape photos, note that the SD880 IS is prone to fringing. Video is better than average considering it tops out at 640x480.

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Kodak EasyShare M1033

Measuring 2.3 inches tall by 3.7 inches wide by 0.8 inch deep, the M1033 slides easily into a back pocket, and at 5.2 ounces, it won't weigh you down, either. The camera's mostly metal body comes in six colors black, silver, pink, copper, red, and gray feels sturdy, and has a clear cut design, so you can hand the camera to anyone and let them shoot away. Buttons for the shutter, power, flash, and mode selections are on top, flush with the body, adding to the camera's streamlined looks.

On back is a 3 inch LCD that's bright enough to remain visible in sunlight. A relatively large rocker zoom switch for the 3x 35-105mm equivalent f3.1-5.7 lens is well positioned to the top left of the screen. Below it sits a five way joystick for navigating menus and for the playing of images and video. That's flanked by Delete, Playback, Menu, and Kodak's standard Share button, which lets you tag an image to be printed or e-mailed the next time the camera is connected to a computer.

Powering on to first shot takes 1.7 seconds on average and typically takes the same amount of time from shot to shot. Using the flash adds nearly a second to that. Shutter lag is very good for its class at only 0.4 second in bright conditions and 0.9 in dim. Burst mode offers only a three shot spurt in approximately 1.4 seconds. It's important to note that if you let it by pressing the shutter button completely rather than halfway and waiting for a focus confirmation will take a picture without locking focus.

This does let you capture images extremely quickly, but they'll frequently be blurry. Press the Mode button and you get four options Smart Capture, Program, Scene, and Video. Smart Capture mode integrates scene and face detection, optimized auto ISO, and a broader dynamic range among other things, so you truly don't have to worry about a setting to take a decent picture. This mode also applies Kodak's PerfectTouch technology to help improve detail and contrast.

In general this system works, producing fine photos regardless of subject or lighting conditions. Which is good, since the camera always starts in Smart Capture, regardless of your settings at power off. Kodak EasyShare M1033 also has 22 Scene modes you can switch to in seconds. These include standards like portrait and landscape as well as things like in camera panorama (left to right and right to left), candle light, panning, and blur reduction. The Program mode gives you slightly more control for exposure compensation and metering, color (natural, low, black and white, sepia), white balance, and ISO. It's nice to have, though I'm not sure it's wholly necessary.

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Casio Exilim C721

Casio has decided to combine the Exilim camera brand with its rugged handset philosophy, resulting in Casio Exilim C721, possibly the country's first high end megapixel camera phone built to be water and shock resistant. Indeed, the C721 has a 5.1 megapixel camera with plenty of features that rival that of standalone point and shoots. It even has a rotating display that fold out to act as a camera viewfinder. On top of that, it comes with a music player, EV-DO Rev.

A, and a HTML Web browser. If you want a high quality feature phone built to withstand the elements, Casio Exilim C721 is certainly the one to get. Still, the C721 won't be cheap it'll cost $279.99 with a two year service agreement and a $50 mail in rebate, which is pricier than most smartphones. Casio Exilim C721 does not look a thing like a ruggedized phone. Unlike its G'zOne brethren, Casio Exilim C721 has a sleek, smooth, and stylish exterior, which is more indicative of the Exilim brand.

You would never think that the Exilim C721 is military certified (under code MIL-STD 810F) to withstand immersion in water, blowing rain, shock, dust, vibration salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, and high altitudes. The chassis is a hard plastic shell, and the headset and microSD ports are protected with tight rubber seals. There's also a slide lock mechanism for the battery cover.

Though we didn't submit Casio Exilim C721 to the same battery of tests as the military, we did dunk it in water and throw it on the floor a few times to test its durability. It kept on working without a problem. We even managed to take a couple of photos with the camera while it was still in a tank of water. Measuring 4.06 inches long by 1.97 inches wide by 0.77 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces, Casio Exilim C721 is wide yet slim, and has a nice solid heft in the hand.

The entire front surface of Casio Exilim C721 is clad in glossy black save for the Verizon logo at the bottom. However, if you activate the phone, you will see a monochrome OLED display that shows the signal strength, battery life, and a digital or analog clock (you can choose the clock format in the settings). It also displays caller ID, and if you have any new messages or missed calls. It even shows the currently playing track if you have the music player activated.

Of course, it doesn't support photo caller ID, and you can't adjust things like backlight or font size. On the left of the phone are a microSD card slot and a charging pad. On the right are a headset jack, a back button that doubles as a rewind or previous track key for the music player, volume controls that can be used to navigate the camera's menu and as camera zoom controls when in camera mode, a side control key that can only be used in camera mode for selecting functions and settings, and the camera shutter button. On the back of Casio Exilim C721 are the camera lens, a very bright LED flash that can also act as a flashlight, and an external speaker.

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Canon PowerShot A590 IS

As with previous PowerShot A-cameras, Canon built Canon PowerShot A590 IS around a large, bright, flexible lens. The 35 to 140mm equivalent, f/2.6 to f/5.5 lens offers a slightly longer reach and wider aperture than the 3x, f/2.8 lenses found in most compact cameras. It incorporates Canon's Optical Image Stabilization system, which shifts lens elements to help reduce image shake.

The camera can also accept conversion lenses with an optional adapter that fits over the base of the original lens. Unfortunately, the adapter retails for about $25, and conversion lenses retail for $100 or more, so outfitting your A590 IS with wide and or telephoto conversion lenses can cost almost as much as the camera itself. Skilled photographers will appreciate the camera's myriad controls and options.

Like other PowerShot A-series cameras, it offers program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual exposure control modes. Of course, if you don't want to use any of those features, you can still shoot in the automatic mode, or with the camera's several scene presets. Finally, the camera adds a new "Easy" mode, which further simplifies and automates the interface. Slow shot to shot speed hindered Canon PowerShot A590 IS's otherwise very quick performance.

After a 1.8 second wait from power on to first shot, the camera could capture a new picture once every 2.3 seconds with the flash disabled. With the flash turned on, that wait more than doubled to an anguishing 5.2 seconds. Burst mode further disappointed, capturing 9 full resolution shots in 11.2 seconds for a rate of 0.8 frames per second. On the other hand, its shutter performed admirably, lagging a scant 0.45 seconds with our high contrast target and an even more impressive 0.7 seconds with our low contrast target.

Whether you shoot in low light or outside on a sunny day, you can expect the camera to grab the shot quickly, and then leave you waiting a few seconds before you can shoot again. Last year, the Sony Cyber shot DSC-T100 wowed us with its remarkably crisp picture quality. Though the A590 IS retails for far less than that camera, it manages to produce photos that are nearly on a par with those from the T100.

While the A590 IS's automatic white balance does a great job for a camera in its price range, it's not quite as good as the automatic white balance in the T100. The A590 IS does a good job of neutralizing colors shot under incandescent light, but leaves a hint of warmth. It also leaves more of a green cast than we'd like to see on a camera like this when shooting under fluorescent lighting.

Its tungsten setting did a wonderful job of neutralizing our very yellow tungsten hot lights. While noise remains extremely low from ISO 80 to 200, we did see some noise even at the camera's lowest sensitivity setting. Still, at these lower ISOs pictures look very good for a camera of this price, and fine textures such as fabric and fur appear consistently crisp. Noise becomes prominent at ISO 400, though details still come through clearly.

Like most compact cameras, Canon PowerShot A590 IS produces significant grain at ISO 800 and its maximum of ISO 1,600, covering the picture and damaging details with a fuzzy sheen. Overall, Canon PowerShot A590 IS produces very nice images and can even yield usable small prints at ISO 800, which is impressive for a camera of its class.

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Nikon CoolPix S630

Nikon CoolPix S630 is a little thicker than usual for Nikon's S-series cameras. That extra depth is for the 7x zoom lens out front, but it doesn't stop this camera from easily fitting in a pocket or small handbag. Available in five colors black, blue, purple, silver, and red it looks more stylish head on than from the back where things get more functional. The right side swoops out a bit leaving a large thumb rest that was appreciated more and more while using the zoom ring around the shutter button on top of the camera.

Below that are the Mode and Play buttons followed by a scroll wheel or directional pad and two more buttons for the settings menu and deleting photos while shooting or in playback. Controls are very straightforward and even if the menus aren't much to look at, they're easy to navigate and a simple tug to the right on the zoom pulls up the Help system. Plus, you can get through them as fast or slow as you want with either the scroll wheel or directional pad.

General shooting options Nikon Coolpix S630

• ISO sensitivity (full resolution) Auto, Fixed-range auto (ISO 64-200, 64-400); 64; 100; 200; 400; 800; 1,600
• White balance Auto, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash, Manual
• Recording modes Auto, Scene, Scene auto, Sport continuous, High sensitivity, Smile, Movie
• Focus Face priority AF, Auto AF, Manual AF, Center AF
• Metering Matrix, Center weighted
• Color effects Standard, Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Cyanotype, Pastel
• Burst mode shot limit (full resolution) 4 photos
  

When it comes to shooting controls and options, Nikon CoolPix S630's feature set is not terribly deep, making it inadequate for anyone wanting to experiment. It has taking simple snapshots down cold, however. Recording modes are kept pretty lean with Auto giving you the most shooting control, including the ability to limit the ISO range the camera uses.

There are three specialized shot modes, too. Smile mode, which snaps a picture whenever it picks up on a smiling face, includes a Blink Proof setting that'll fire off a second shot in case it detects the subject blinking (and it works, but the person has to be fully facing the camera). A Sport Continuous mode works well for capturing action, but does lower the resolution to 3 megapixels and increase the sensitivity to a minimum of ISO 640.

This not only creates some extra image noise, but it'll also cause outdoor or well-lit photos to overexpose. Lastly, there's a High Sensitivity mode for low light shooting, but it too drops photos to a 3 megapixel resolution and sets the ISO range from 640 to 3,200. (To be fair, the thorough instruction manual warns about these things and explains how and when best to use the special settings.)

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