The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 has a truly unique design, in that it is like no other digital camera on the market. Designed to make it easy to shoot videos as well as images, the design looks good. There seem to be some ergonomics issues though – read on.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Specifications

* Shoots 5.1 Megapixel photos, MPEGMovie4TV videos
* 2.5″ LCD1 Screen tilts and twists to any angle
* Carl Zeiss® 3X Optical/2X Digital zoom lens
* Advanced circuitry for bright, low-noise images
* Cyber-shot Station™ cradle for quick PC/TV hookup

Pricing

Check the best price on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Reviews

The Imaging Resource reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 and writes – ‘The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is about as unique a digital camera as could be imagined. It packs a 3x zoom lens and high-resolution five megapixel sensor into a reasonably compact body, and offers generally good image quality as well as movies that are much better than average. The interface has been improved from the original DSC-M1, but still has quirks that could be ironed out. The interface is simply too complicated. The 5SEC mode seems to have no useful purpose, and the Hybrid mode may prove difficult for new owners to grasp and use. I’d like to see Sony change the camera’s design to simply allow a still image to be captured at any time, even if a movie is already recording, by pressing the Photo shutter button. More importantly, though, the M1’s zoom lever is far too small, too difficult to feel, and offers almost no tactile feedback. Other areas of the interface drew mixed opinions among the IR staff. I felt that the positioning of the four-way arrow pad on the LCD hinge was quite easy to reach with my thumb, but Senior Editor Shawn Barnett felt it was too difficult to reach.’

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 Press Release

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 4, 2006 – The new Sony Cyber-shot î DSC-M2 digital camera combines great quality digital still photography and impressive movie-shooting capabilities.

Featuring 5.1-megapixel resolution, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar î lens and Sony’s Real Imaging Processor î circuitry, the camera offers outstanding image capture in either mode.

“We recognize that some people don’t want to have separate imaging devices for their photos and video,” said James Neal, director of digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “Our new Cyber-shot has been specifically engineered for these people.”

A New Way To Record

Designed for optimal photo taking and video making, the camera’s vertical one-handed grip sits comfortably in the palm of your hand. With just a gentle push to the side of the LCD panel, the camera powers up, the 2.5-inch LCD screen flips out, and it is ready to shoot.

Every moment becomes a full story with the camera’s hybrid record mode. When you press the shutter release, you get more than a snapshot. The camera automatically records five seconds of video before snapping the picture and three seconds after. There is no longer a need to choose between stills and video – you can get both.

Sony’s MPEG MOVIE 4TV movie function captures full-screen, high-quality video. At 640 x 480 VGA resolution and 30 frames per second, the resulting clips are ideal for viewing on television. The model’s sensor has been optimized with a high refresh rate, doubling the horizontal resolution.

The camera’s MPEG4 compression captures high-quality video in far less space than other cameras using MPEG1 technology. You can record high-resolution still images and video clips without a large-capacity media card. Or, you can purchase a 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ media card and record up to 1-1/2 hours of continuous video.

Additionally, the new camera offers stereo audio recording to truly capture the full experience of being there with surprising fidelity for such a compact device.

And, while some digital cameras do not let you zoom in movie mode, the DSC-M2 model continues to zoom in all modes.

The camera is supplied with Nero Vision Express 3 software so that editing footage and burning it to DVD is effortless. Convert video clips into home videos for everyone to enjoy. The supplied Cyber-shot Station cradle provides a convenient connection point for television viewing, USB transfer, and in-camera battery charging.

On-Camera Show and Tell

The new camera features pocket album and slide show plus movie functions to maximize your viewing enjoyment.

With each full-resolution image shot and stored on your Memory Stick, the camera’s pocket album function automatically stores a duplicate 640×480 resolution image in its internal memory, which holds 1,100 images. When the maximum capacity is reached, unprotected images are deleted leaving ample room for your favorites in pocket album for sharing wherever you go.

The camera’s slide show function brings photos to life without using a PC. Images and video can be played back with pans, wipes, fades and zooms, and then choreographed to pre-loaded soundtracks. You can even upload your own music to personalize slide shows using the supplied Picture Package software. A built-in speaker gives your slide shows that cinematic effect with sound to complete the experience. And, of course, a television can be connected for added enjoyment.

More Ways to Enjoy Cyber-Shot Digital Cameras

The camera’s image resolution is ideal for making high-quality prints. Simply connect the model to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer and print from the convenience of your own home. You can even create postcards or calendars using the printer’s supplied software.

With Sony’s ImageStation î online photo service, you can expand your options to print tens or even hundreds of pictures, create online photo and video albums, or make customized gifts from coffee mugs and photo books, to calendars and T-shirts.

Stylish and compact, the Cyber-shot DSC-M2 camera is finished in an elegant silver metallic aluminum case. The unit will be available this month online at Sonystyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and for about $500 at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin today at www.sony.com/M2

The camera is supplied with a Cyber-shot Station ™ cradle, which makes charging and connecting to a computer, printer or TV even simpler; an InfoLITHIUM ™ battery; AC adapter; AV/USB cables, PicturePackage v. 1.2.1 and Nero Vision Express 3 software; and a wrist strap. Optional accessories include a form-fitting case (LCS-MHB) for about $40, a travel charger (BC-TR1) for about $60 and a tripod (VCT-R100) for about $35.

Source.

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Olympus Stylus 710 and has this to say – ‘Photo quality is the Stylus 710’s weak spot. While it took well-exposed photos with accurate color and low purple fringing levels, fine details in my photos were quite muddy, even at the lowest ISO setting. In addition, there was noticeable corner softness in many of my sample photos. While this may not matter to the typical buyer of a camera like this, those who want to make larger prints or view them at full size on their computer screen will see this and will likely be disappointed. One thing that will get you no matter what size the print is redeye, which is quite bad on the camera. The built-in redeye reduction feature did not improve the situation, at least in my testing.
There are a few other things that I want to mention. While nearly all cameras in this class are point-and-shoot, most offer at least manual white balance and slow shutter speed options. The latter feature would’ve really helped on this camera, as the night shot was quite lousy since I was forced to use a scene mode. Second, the camera lacks an AF-assist lamp, which led to just average low light focusing. Third, you cannot swap memory cards while the camera is on a tripod, which may or may not bother you. And finally, the included 19MB of memory is very little for a 7.1 Megapixel camera.’

They sure don’t sound impressed. Image quality should be much better on a 7.1 megapixel camera, in my opinion.

Check the best price on the Olympus Stylus 710.

Read more about the Olympus Stylus 710.

Lexar is under the impression that Toshiba is infringing on its’ patents, and wants to stop production of certain Toshiba NAND chips. Why do you care? NAND chips are the basic building blocks of flash cards – SD, MMC, CF, xD, etc. If Toshiba can no longer produce NAND chips, at least until this suit is handled, that likely means higher prices for memory cards around the board. Not to mention a possible temporary shortage, as Toshiba is a major producer. We’ll have to wait this one out and hope for the best. Via The Digital Photography Weblog.

The Olympus SP-310 is the sister to the Olympus SP-350 ( 8 megapixel ). Not quite entry level, not quite high end, the Olympus SP-310 fits right around the middle. With 7.1 megapixels, this camera should product quite nice pictures. It does feature quite a few manual controls, but not so many as to be confusing to the amateur.

Specifications

• 7.1 megapixel CCD
• 3x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom
• 2.5″ color LCD
• TruePic TURBO Image Processor
• 25MB internal memory
• Accepts xD memory cards

Pricing

Get the best price on the Olympus SP-310.

Olympus SP-310 Reviews

Steve’s Digicams reviews the Olympus SP-310 and while impressed with image quality, did NOT like the speed and battery life. They write – ‘Battery life was also disappointing. At first I thought that the set of 2500mAh NiMH cells that I was using were bad. However it seemed no matter what set was used, it was about the same. Olympus does not specify a how many images can be captured, but I found it took nearly three battery changes to capture about 80 shots and conclude several of our other tests; this is using the LCD 100% of the time and taking a several photos with the flash.
Bottom line – just like the SP-350, the Olympus SP-310 was disappointing. When we first saw the specs of this model, it looked very appealing. And we loved its ergonomics, image quality, and versatile exposure modes. However the poor shooting performance and short battery life really brings it down and it is very hard for us to recommend this model. We feel the shooting performance suffers due to the very slow recording media (xD-picture card.) Olympus really needs to either join the SecureDigital media band wagon or release those newer and faster xD cards, right away!’

The Imaging Resource reviews the Olympus SP-310 and has this to say – ‘The 7.1-megapixel, 3x-zoom Olympus SP-310 is an excellent performer where it counts: printed image quality. It has a wealth of features in a surprisingly compact body; and though it’s not the most attractive design (in our eyes, anyway) you’ll start to like it right away when you shoot with it. Featuring a full range of exposure control, in addition to 24 preset Scene modes, the SP-310 caters to a large audience. Novices will appreciate the availability of pure point-and-shoot operation, while more experienced users will enjoy the option of full manual exposure control. A large 2.5-inch LCD monitor provides accurate framing, and a great place to view pictures, with a real-image optical viewfinder available to save battery power, a feature disappearing from most digicams with a large LCD. Though the camera’s Auto white balance setting tends toward a warmer color cast, overall color is generally pretty good, and exposure is usually about right. (It does tend to produce contrasty images under harsh lighting though.) Though the slow shutter lag numbers could have been better, the printed image quality of the SP-310 really surprised us, and it’s an excellent bargain at the roughly $250 street price it’s selling for as of this review date in mid-April, 2006. Even at high ISO, its images were usable at larger print sizes than most competing models.’

Olympus SP-310 Press Release

OLYMPUS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW SP-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS DESIGNED TO DELIVER PERFORMANCE AND CREATIVE CONTROL

New SP-310 and SP-350 Offers Advanced Manual Controls, 30 Shooting Modes and a Large 2.5-Inch Premium Size LCD

Melville, New York, August 29, 2005 – With the release of two new SP-series digital cameras, the 7.0-megapixel SP-310 and the 8.o-megapixel SP-350, Olympus introduces state-of-the-art specialized features that enable photographers of all skill levels to express their creative vision. Both cameras offer the option of either manual settings for creative control or 30 selectable shooting modes for convenience and ease-of-use, along with optional add-on accessory lenses, an optional underwater housing, and a large, easy-to-view 2.5-inch premium size LCD. The SP-310 and SP-350 are highly versatile cameras, powerful enough to satisfy the creative needs of the advanced user, and expansive enough to grow as users develop their talent.

“With the new SP-series digital cameras, Olympus offers a selection of cameras that are specifically designed for users with a variety of needs and photography skills,” said John McGuire, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The SP-310 and SP-350 each offer users the versatility of an advanced fully-featured camera and an easy-to-use point-and-shoot in one compact unit.”

High Resolution Image Sensor for Large-Format Prints
The SP-310 features a high resolution 7.0-megapixel CCD image sensor, and the SP-350 features an even higher resolution 8.0-megapixel CCD, to deliver super high-quality images that are consistently sharp and vivid even in large-format prints.

2.5-Inch Premium Size LCD
Composing and reviewing images is far easier when you don’t have to squint. The 115,000-pixel anti-glare LCD enables you to view images in large and vivid detail. What’s more, you don’t have to download and print images each time you want to share them – you can treat your friends and family to a slide show right on the back of your camera. With the large 2.5-inch LCD, the SP-310 and SP-350 are veritable walking photo albums!

PictBridge Enabled – No Computer Necessary!
The power of PictBridge technology enables photos to be printed directly from the camera to any PictBridge-enabled printer without using a computer. And the new one-touch printing button makes printing a single-step process. Printing and sharing images has never been easier!

Manual Settings for Added Creative Control
The addition of manual Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes gives users versatility and control for optimal performance in any situation. Users can express their creative vision – adjusting the f-stop for detailed portraits with softened backgrounds, or slowing the exposure speed to create the blurred effect of motion.

30 Selectable Shooting Modes
The SP-310 and SP-350 make it easy to capture great images in a variety of lighting situations with 24 pre-programmed scene modes, such as Night Scene, Indoor Portrait or Cuisine Mode. And with its QuickTime® Movie Mode, the cameras can record movies of any length, limited only by the size of the internal memory or xD-Picture Card in the camera.

Accessory Lenses & Flashes for Expanded Capabilities
Olympus’ SP-series cameras feature a threaded barrel, which enables easy attachment of add-on wide angle or telephoto conversion lenses for even more creative control. Compatible accessory lenses include the WCON-07F wide angle lens, which enables a wider field of view for shooting skylines, landscapes or group shots, and the TCON-17F telephoto conversion lens, which extends the camera’s magnification capability by 1.7 times for bringing subjects dramatically closer, great for shooting sports events, concerts or wildlife.

The SP-350 also has a hot shoe for external flashes, providing additional versatility for more advanced shots when difficult lighting is an issue.

TruePic TURBOâ„¢ for High-Speed Response
Olympus’ exclusive TruePic TURBO™ Image Processor enhances image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds for rapid startup, shutter release and playback. TruePic TURBOTM enable the cameras to capture information with pixel “micro-smoothing” that delivers clearer and more color-accurate photos, even at lower resolutions. The fast startup of less than one second and nearly instant shutter release time ensures a high-speed response so you are always ready to take great pictures.

High Quality Olympus Lens Elements
Olympus photos are known worldwide for sharp, vibrant image quality. This is achieved through a number of key technologies, such as Olympus’ new high-refractive-index aspherical lens elements, designed specifically for digital cameras. The lens provides the equivalent of 38 to 114mm focal length, f2.8 – f4.9 in 35mm photography, with 15x combined total zoom (3x optical and 5x digital) to bring the action closer, and a Super Macro Mode that captures details as nuanced as the iridescent petals of a flower, from as close as 2 cm.

In-camera Editing
With in-camera editing features such as Red-Eye Fix, color brightness and saturation adjustments, users can edit photos on the fly – no longer do you have to tool around with computers and editing software for simple image touch-ups!

Style and Ergonomics
With the new SP-series cameras, Olympus returns to the traditional, compact appearance of its traditional range-finder cameras. At a compact size of just 3.9″ W x 2.6″ H x 1.4″ D and less than 7 ounces, tucks away easily into a pocket or backpack. The addition of an ergonomic grip makes it easy to hold with one hand, for capturing those photo ops when you are, literally, on the run.

Underwater Photography
The new PT-030 underwater housing is created specially for the SP-310/SP-350 cameras – so you can take your camera with you on your underwater excursions. The large 2.5-inch premium size LCD, compact body size and three underwater scene modes make it the perfect camera to take along diving.

Easy USB Auto-Connect
Connecting the camera to a computer is easy with the USB Auto-Connect feature, which connects directly via USB 2.0 cable and requires no software.

OLYMPUS Masterâ„¢ Software
OLYMPUS Masterâ„¢ software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are searchable by date or keyword in the Calendar View. And with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye reduction, images can be touched up before printing or emailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away.

Availability
The SP-310 and SP-350 will be available in October 2005. Each includes: Wrist Strap, Camera WIN/Mac USB Cable, Video cable, 2 AA batteries, Quick Start Guide, Basic Instruction Manual, Warranty Card, CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master Software, and Camera Advanced manual.

U.S. Pricing
SP-310 Estimated Street Price: $349.99 (U.S.)
SP-350 Estimated Street Price: $399.99 (U.S.)

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Canon PowerShot A700 and writes – ‘The PowerShot A700 features both automatic and manual controls. For those just starting out you’ll find an auto shooting mode, plus numerous scene modes. While you won’t use them often, the My Colors features are fun to play around with. When you’re ready to use manual controls, you’ll find that the A700 has a full set of them, from exposure to white balance to focus. There’s also a nice burst mode, which can take 2 pictures per second until the memory card is full (high speed card required). The movie mode is also very good, though you’ll hit the 1GB file size limit in just eight minutes.
Camera performance was good in most areas. The A700 turns on quickly, focuses without much of a wait (it seemed faster than the A540), and shutter lag wasn’t a problem. Low light focusing was very good, thanks to the camera’s AF-assist lamp. Battery life was above average, with the A700 squeezing out 400 shots using two 2500 mAh NiMH batteries (using the CIPA standard).
Photo quality was very good. The A700 took well-exposed photos with accurate color, low purple fringing, and reasonable noise levels. The A700’s 6 Megapixel sensor has pretty good ISO performance, allowing you to print 4 x 6’s through ISO 400. The ISO 800 isn’t terribly useful, though you may be able to squeeze out a smaller print after running the image through something like NeatImage. The one area in which the A700 ran into trouble was with regard to “redeye” in flash photos.’

Check the best price on the Canon Powershot A700.

Read more about the Canon PowerShot A700.

Cool Tech Zone reviews the Kodak EasyShare V570 and writes – ‘The Kodak EasyShare V570 is definitely targeted at beginners. It provides impressive results if used in auto mode as a simple point-and-shoot camera. At the same time, as consumers become more familiar with this camera, they would obviously want to tweak a few settings. The V570 will let them do that as well, albeit to a limited extent. It will let you set exposure compensation, white balance, color mode, sharpness as well as ISO speeds to allow select flexibility. Unlike some of the cameras with a complicated menu system, the V570 lets you set these pretty easily and without much fuss.
At $400, this camera is no doubt a bit expensive, but then you do get the charm of owning the only dual lens camera in the world. To be fair to Kodak, while the camera definitely has some issues, the wide angle lens is amazingly good. If you want to take wide photos at close range (family portraits or group photos) you really can’t do much better than this. The ultrawide angle lens coupled with the 5x optical zoom telephoto lens yields great results.’

It sounds like Cool Tech Zone likes the Kodak V570, just as more of a beginner model. Quite frankly this is a camera that I really like – I’m not a big fan of cameras that are hard to use. Simple, easy, and high quality are the things I look for in my personal digital camera.

Read more about the Kodak EasyShare V570.

Get the best price on the Kodak EasyShare V570.

Steve’s Digicams reviews the Canon PowerShot A700 and writes – ‘I was very pleased with the overall image quality of the A700’s 6-megapixel Large SuperFine mode. Our outdoor samples were beautiful, showing good exposure and color saturation. Thanks in part to the Canon 6x optical zoom lens, just about every single shot I took was nice and sharp from edge to edge. In fact i saw almost no signs of edge blurring or softness; a common trait of consumer models. Noise is nonexistent at the lower ISO settings (80 or 100), but does become more noticeable as the sensitivity is increased. While ISO 800 is filled with visible imager noise, I feel the ability to use higher than normal shutter speeds in marginal lighting conditions makes up for the decrease in image quality.’

It sounds like Steve was impressed, and his word carries a lot in the digital camera world these days. Kudos to the A700.

Check the best price on the Canon Powershot A700.

Steve’s Digicams recently reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W50 and had this to say – ‘The Sony Cyber-shot W50 is a good all-around performer. Weighing-in at just under 6 ounces (including battery and Memory Stick Duo), the W50 is both pocketable and stylish while still providing the optical viewfinder that its competitors frequently omit. With very good image quality, 6-megapixels of resolution, versatile sensitivity range, high-quality movies and an MSRP of under $250, the Sony DSC-W50 is a very good value. If you like the W50’s features and image quality but prefer to spend a bit less, consider the W30; it sports a smaller 2-inch LCD without brightness adjustment for about $20 less.’

Check the best prices on the Sony Cybershot DSC-W50.

Read more about the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W50.

CNet reviews the Canon Powershot A700 and writes – ‘Like its stablemate, the PowerShot A540, the compact Canon PowerShot A700 offers abundant manual controls, respectable image quality, and acceptable ISO 800 performance. Either camera should appeal to enthusiast photographers or serious beginners who want some control over exposure and focus. But the A700’s biggest edge is its 6X zoom lens, a nice step up from the A540’s 4X glass. Plus, the A700 includes macro focusing down to 0.4 inch, a higher-resolution 2.5-inch LCD, and a rear-sync flash that fires at the end of your exposure to keep car headlights from looking like laser beams.’

Read more about the Canon Powershot A700.
Check the best price on the Canon Powershot A700.

The Olympus Stylus 710 features a slim, sleek design, with brushed aluminum finish. It has a 7.1 megapixel CCD, and 3x optical zoom. Olympus’ exlusive TruePic TURBO™ Image Processor helps ensure crisp, clear pictures, as well as speedy response.

Pricing

Check the best price on the Olympus Stylus 710.

Olympus Stylus 710 Reviews

Steve’s Digicams reviews the Olympus Stylus 710 and writes – ‘Bottom line – the Olympus Stylus 710 continues the tradition of the Stylus line by offering good image quality, great performance, and sleek design all packed in a weather resistant shell. This is one of our favorite models in this series, when you pick one up you’ll see why. It was a blast to use and I found very few problems in actual use. The image quality could be better and unfortunately it uses the incredibly slow xD memory cards that Olympus and Fujifilm designed (we hope someday they’ll switch to SD). If you’re in the market for a versatile little pocket-rocket that you can take out into the rain, look no further. With an MSRP of about $349, we feel it offers an outstanding value and should be a very popular model this year.’

Digital Camera Resource Page reviews the Olympus Stylus 710 and has this to say – ‘Photo quality is the Stylus 710’s weak spot. While it took well-exposed photos with accurate color and low purple fringing levels, fine details in my photos were quite muddy, even at the lowest ISO setting. In addition, there was noticeable corner softness in many of my sample photos. While this may not matter to the typical buyer of a camera like this, those who want to make larger prints or view them at full size on their computer screen will see this and will likely be disappointed. One thing that will get you no matter what size the print is redeye, which is quite bad on the camera. The built-in redeye reduction feature did not improve the situation, at least in my testing.
There are a few other things that I want to mention. While nearly all cameras in this class are point-and-shoot, most offer at least manual white balance and slow shutter speed options. The latter feature would’ve really helped on this camera, as the night shot was quite lousy since I was forced to use a scene mode. Second, the camera lacks an AF-assist lamp, which led to just average low light focusing. Third, you cannot swap memory cards while the camera is on a tripod, which may or may not bother you. And finally, the included 19MB of memory is very little for a 7.1 Megapixel camera.’

Olympus Stylus 710 Press Release

Olympus Announces New Stylus 710: Sleek Design, Superior Performance And All-Weather Durability

7.1-Megapixel CCD, All-Weather Design with Bright Capture Technology for Low-Light Photography, and Built-In Help Guide for Ease of Use

Melville, New York, January 26 , 2006 – Building on the Stylus legacy of all-weather durability and stylish design, Olympus Imaging America Inc . introduces the new Stylus 710 that delivers premium features, advanced performance and enhanced usability in a sleek, compact point-and-shoot body that’s less than one inch thick.

The camera’s large 2.5-inch LCD and Bright Capture Technology dramatically improves composition, capture and review of images in low-light situations. Olympus’ exclusive TruePic TURBOTM Image Processor, coupled with a 7. 1 megapixel image sensor, produces crisp, high quality photos. The inclusion of 28 shooting modes offers versatility across a variety of shooting situations. And a built-in Help Guide provides on-the-fly instruction – a handy alternative to toting around a user manual.

“Stylus cameras are renowned throughout the world for their all-weather durability and stylish, classic design,” said Tomoko Matsunaga, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The Stylus 710 builds upon this reputation with the addition of a 7.1 megapixel image sensor, premium features such as Bright Capture Technology, enhanced usability and a sleek new body design.”

Stylish, Ergonomic Design
The Stylus 710 is defined by high-performance, durability and style. In addition to the all-weather construction that made the Stylus famous, the Stylus 710 features the metal body and clean lines and smooth, rounded edges that make it comfortable to hold and easy to handle. At a compact size that’s less than one inch thick – 3.7″ (W) x 2.2″ (H) x 0.8′ (D) – the camera fits snugly into a pocket and won’t crowd a purse or briefcase .

All-Weather Durability
Typically water and photography are a bad combination, limiting your outdoor photography options when rain, snow or sea is involved. But the compact, all – weather Stylus 710 can go virtually anywhere you can. The body construction is durable and lightweight with rubber gaskets throughout the interior to ensure that rain, sleet, or snow won’t get in the way of great photos .

Bright Capture Technology for Low-Light Photography
There are times when you want to photograph subjects in low light without having to use a flash – such as when trying to capture the softness and warmth of a candlelit dinner, or natural skin tones in subdued lighting. Olympus’ revolutionary Bright Capture Technology makes it possible to clearly compose subjects on the LCD. With rapid auto-focus and specific scene modes with high sensitivity (up to ISO 2500) , you can capture bright images even in ambient light.

Digital Image Stabilization Mode
The Stylus 710 features Digital Image Stabilization Mode for capturing crisp, clear pictures – free from the blur sometimes caused by camera shake or moving subjects – with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speed.

2.5-Inch Premium Size LCD
With the large 2.5-inch LCD, the Stylus 710 is a veritable walking photo album. The large LCD makes it easier to see images clearly when composing shots, and when gathering friends around to review them in vivid detail without having to download to a computer.

7.1-Megapixel Image Sensor for Large-Format Prints
The 7.1-megapixel CCD image sensor inside the Stylus 710 delivers high-quality images that are consistently sharp and vivid even in large-format prints – up to poster sizes as large as 16 x 20 inches.
High Quality Olympus Lens Elements
Olympus photos are known worldwide for sharp, vibrant image quality. This is achieved through a number of key technologies, such as Olympus’ super high-refractive-index lens elements, designed specifically for digital cameras. The lens provides the equivalent of 37 to 111 mm focal length in 35mm photography, with 15x combined total zoom (3x optical and 5x digital) to bring the action closer, and a Super Macro Mode that captures details from as close as 3.2 inches.

TruePic TURBOTM Image Processor for High-Speed Response
Olympus’ exclusive TruePic TURBO Image Processor enhances image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds for rapid startup, shutter release and playback. TruePic TURBO enables the Stylus 710 to capture information from all 7.1 million pixels with pixel “micro-smoothing” that delivers clearer and more color-accurate photos, even at lower resolutions. The fast startup of less than one second and nearly instant shutter release time ensures a high-speed response so you are always ready to take great pictures.

28 Selectable Shooting Modes
With 24 pre-programmed scene modes, such as Indoor, Candle or Auction, the Stylus 710 makes it easy to capture great images in a variety of lighting situations. And with its QuickTime? Movie Mode, the Stylus 710 can record movies with audio of any length, limited only by the size of the internal memory or xD-Picture CardTM in the camera.

Help Guide for Added Ease-of-Use
With the Help Guide function, the Stylus 710 makes every last one of its features accessible, even to novice users. By simply holding down the Guide button on the back of the camera, users can access brief descriptions of each of the camera’s functions and scene modes. An improved auto-set Shooting Guide provides users with an explanation of which features to use in a given situation, and then sets the camera automatically for the selected feature on the Guide.

PictBridgeTM Enabled – No Computer Necessary!
Printing and sharing images has never been easier. The power of PictBridge technology enables photos to be printed directly from the Stylus 710 to any PictBridge-enabled printer without using a computer. And the one-touch Print button makes printing a single-step process.

In-camera Editing
With in-camera editing features such as Red-Eye Fix, image composition with the option to add a built-in frame or text, and color brightness or saturation adjustments, users can edit photos on the fly – no longer do you have to worry about using computers and editing software for simple image touch-ups.

Underwater Photography
The new PT-032 underwater housing is created specially for the Stylus 710 – so you can take your camera with you on your underwater excursions. The large 2.5-inch LCD, compact body size and three underwater scene modes make it the perfect camera to take along diving. And with Bright Capture Technology you’ll be able to easily preview images on the LCD even in the darkness under water.

Easy USB Auto-Connect
Connecting the Stylus 710 to a computer is easy with the USB Auto-Connect feature, which connects directly via USB 2.0 cable and requires no software.

OLYMPUS MasterTM Software
OLYMPUS Master software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are searchable by date or keyword in the Calendar View. And with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye reduction, images can be touched up before printing or e-mailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away.

Availability
The Stylus 710 will be available in February 2006. It includes: a wrist strap, camera WIN/Mac USB cable, audio/ video cable, Li- 42 B Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger, quick start guide, basic instruction manual, warranty card, CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master software, and camera advanced manual.

U.S. Pricing
Stylus 710 Estimated Street Price: $ 349.99 (U.S.)

Imaging Resource reviews the Kodak EasyShare V570 and writes – ‘ The Kodak V570 presents an interesting problem for us. It’s a camera with a lot in the plus column and a lot in the minus column; yet it still nets out as a positive experience. We really like the camera for its unique dual lens arrangement that includes a surprisingly useful 23mm wide angle lens, but its image quality really isn’t as good as it could be for a 5 megapixel camera. Its fully automatic exposure control performs very well in a wide variety of conditions, requiring less exposure adjustment or tweaking than do most competing models. Auto white balance wasn’t quite as good as it could be, however, and shot-to-shot speed didn’t break any records. But for more difficult shooting conditions, a wide range of preset “Scene” modes extends the camera’s capabilities nicely, perfect for the target market. The V570’s video capabilities are also very good, both sound and video quality are quite good. While sophisticates may prefer more subdued color, we suspect that most consumers will love the bright, vibrant photos the V570 produces. But there’s still that quandary. The V570 has a 5x zoom that’s really a 3x plus a fixed 23mm; and it has two 5 megapixel sensors that produce images that really look more like they came from a 4 megapixel sensor.’

Read more about the Kodak EasyShare V570.

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T30 is the latest addition to the cybershot family. It sports 7.2 megapixels and the world famous Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens. One of the best things about Sony is that they don’t go cheap on their lenses – they stick with the best.
This camera is equipped with Super Steady Shot(R) image stabilization, as well as double anti-blur protection. I’m not real sure what that is exactly, but I like the sound of it – my hands shake like crazy when I try to take pictures.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T30 Press Release

NEW SONY CYBER-SHOT CAMERA CLEARS UP LIFE’S BLURRY MOMENTS

Slim DSC-T30 Model with Double Anti-Blur Protection Makes Fuzzy Images a Thing of the Past

SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2006 — Sony is building up its arsenal of anti-blur, digital still cameras to help people who are out on the town win the fight against blur with the introduction of the new 7.2-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-T30 model.

“When people are out having a good time, they don’t want to spend it learning how to avoid taking blurry pictures,” said James Neal, director of marketing for digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “We’ve engineered our flagship T-series camera with intelligent, automatic features so people can spend more time having fun and less time understanding technology.”

No More Buzz Kill

Everybody’s feeling the vibe and you want a group shot before leaving dinner or the party. Don’t make everyone pose and re-pose, smiling as if they’re suffering from lock jaw, while you take shot after shot trying to get a good picture.

Equipped with double anti-blur protection, you can press the DSC-T30 model’s Super Steady Shot® optical image stabilization and high-sensitivity mode buttons in seconds, and reduce the chance of taking a blurry picture the very first time – especially in low-light conditions.

The Super Steady Shot technology minimizes blur caused by shaky hands, while the new camera’s high light sensitivity (ISO 1000) mode reduces blur resulting from shooting at faster shutter speeds. There’s even added defense with Sony’s Clear RAW™ noise reduction system, which kicks in to counter picture noise associated with high-sensitivity shooting.

These technologies make the camera ideal for shooting in low-light conditions, such as restaurants, bars and clubs. Combined with its stylish finish and svelte dimensions, the DSC-T30 camera is the perfect accessory for even the most discerning “fashionista.”

Armed with features for optimal shooting and sharing, the new camera with its Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® 3x optical zoom lens combines power, portability and distinctive playback. Its slide show with music function is ideal for viewing on the camera’s three-inch, Clear Photo LCD Plus™ screen.

This is Sony’s first T-series model to feature selectable color modes. Choose natural mode for subtle color variations or vivid mode for more intense colors, depending on how you want to preserve the mood from your night on the town.

Sony’s ultra-fast Real Imaging Processor™ circuitry increases the camera’s efficiency for quicker start-up, faster shot-to-shot times, higher-quality movie capture, and longer battery life. Its supplied InfoLithium® battery provides plenty of power – up to 420 shots per full charge. That’s nearly double the performance of previous T-series models.

The camera has 58MB of internal memory, just in case you forget your memory card. Its capacity can be expanded up to two gigabytes, however, with an optional Memory Stick Duo™ media card.

The Cyber-shot DSC-T30 camera will be available next month for about $500 direct at SonyStyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sony.com/T30.

The camera is supplied with an InfoLithium battery, battery charger, multi-connector cable, wrist strap and software CD-ROM. Optional accessories include a travel charger (BC-TR1, about $60), Cyber-shot Station (CSS-TNA, about $80), a marine pack (MPK-THC, about $200), and a genuine leather cover (LCJ-THA, about $40).

Make the Most of High-Resolution Images through Prints

This new high-resolution camera is ideal for making high-quality prints. When you connect it to a Sony DPP-FP50 digital photo printer, you can create prints, postcards, or even calendars using the printer’s supplied software.

And with Sony’s ImageStation® online photo service, you can expand your options to print tens or even hundreds of pictures, create online photo and video albums, or make customized gifts such as photo books and calendars.

Source.

The new HP R927 will definately make your wife / girlfriend happy.  Using some sort of hocus pocus, subjects captured with this camera appear to lose about 10 lbs in the picture.  If you have a wife or girlfriend who is always complaining about her weight, you need this camera.
Via Gizmodo.

CNET reviews the Canon PowerShot SD430 Digital Elph Wireless and writes – ‘Using Canon’s RemoteCapture utility, which currently runs only on Windows XP SP2 (Mac OS X support is due this spring), a PowerShot SD430 user can remotely control zoom, image size and compression level, ISO speed, white balance, metering mode, color mode, focus point, macro mode, autofocus type, and flash mode. There is a live image preview that can be turned off to preserve the camera’s battery (though an optional AC adapter is recommended for remote shooting), and images can be saved to the memory card, the computer, or both. In automatic interval shooting mode, the number of images that can be saved is limited only by disk space, up to 99,999 shots.’

Remote controlled digital camera. Cool.

Read more about the Canon PowerShot SD430 Digital Elph Wireless.