Samsung today announced two economical digicams with solid specs for their price-point. The S760 and S860 are virtual twins with only the pixel count – 7 and 8 MP respectively – to distinguish them. 3x optical zoom, Face Recognition and 2.4" LCDs round off the specs. Both cameras are due to arrive in January priced at $169 and $179. Oh and there’ll be Pink and Blue finishes available besides the more usual Silver and Black.

Press Release (UK):

Samsung Expands its Digital Range with two stylish compacts

4 December 2007 – Samsung Cameras, leaders in digital imaging, today announced the release of two new cameras to their popular award-winning S series. The 7 mega pixel S760 and the 8 mega pixel S860 are easy to use and packed with innovative features.

Both cameras combine Samsung’s advanced image processing technology and Samsung’s Intelligent Face Recognition Technology. Samsung’s Intelligent Face Recognition Technology, detects the subject’s face and automatically adjusts auto focus and auto exposure to ensure better composition and image quality in portraits. The AF function instantaneously recognises the faces of subjects and accurately focuses on them, then the AE function takes over, setting the appropriate exposure to ensure the highest image quality.

The S760 and S860 feature 3 x optical zoom and a bright 2.4” LCD display. Both models also boast 11 scene modes and digital image stabilisation technology.

Features include:

• 3x Optical Zoom Lens
• 2.4” LCD Screen
• Digital Image Stabilization
• High Sensitivity ISO 1000
• Function Description
• Self Shot

The Samsung S760 and S860 will be available in a choice of black, silver, pink or blue colours from January 2008 at an RRP of £79.99 for the S760 and price still to be confirmed for the S860. Customers requiring further information should call 00 800 122 637 27 or visit www.samsungcamera.co.uk

Source: www.dpreview.com

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Not wanting to be left out of the spate of new camera announcements this week, Olympus has unleashed a small horde of new cameras designed to appeal to a wide range of entry-level and mid-range camera buyers looking for high megapixel counts and strong performance.

First up, the Olympus FE-280, FE-290, and FE-300 are meant to appeal to casual photographers, with the FE-300 offering a 12 megapixel resolution and face detection, the FE-290 opting for 7.1 megapixels with a 3-inch LCD viewfinder and a 4× optical zoom, and the slim FE-280s offering 8 megapixels of resolution and face detection technology. The FE-280s also cater to the fashion conscious, and will be available in red, blue, black, and silver. All three cameras feature digital image stabilization and store images to xD media cards. All three models should be available in August, with the FE-280s carrying a suggested price of $199.99, with the FE-290 and FE-300 going for $249.99 and $299.99, respectively.

Next, Olympus has announced the Stylus 820, Stylus 830, and Stylus 1200 which notch things up a bit with improved features and performance. All three cameras feature face detection technology, shadow adjustment, “Perfect Shot Preview” (which offers thumbnails of photo effects on the preview screen before snapping a shot), image stabilization, and a number of preset shooting modes. The Stylus 1200 offers a 12 megapixel resolution and a 2.7-inch LCD; meanwhile, the Stylus 830 offers both digital and optical image stabilization, a 5× zoom, a smaller 2.5-inch LCD, an 8 megapixel resolution, and a heap of color choices, while the Stylus 820 drops the optical image stabilization, ramps back up to a 2.7-inch LCD, and offers a selection of red, blue, black, and silver chassis. All three stylus models offer an all-weather design which should withstand the elements, and the 820 and 1200 offer a built-in panorama mode for capturing landscapes. Expect to see the 820 in August with the 830 and 1200 following in October; suggested prices will be $249.99, $329.99, and $349.99, respectively.

Olympus is also adding the Stylus 790SW to the Stylus line—SW stands for “Shock and Waterpoof,” but the hardy little cameras are also dustproof and freezeproof, within limts. The 790SW can be used up to 10 feet underwater—no special casing required!—and even offers four special underwater modes to make sure you capture that special shot. The camera is also good to 14°F (-10°C), and offers face detection technology, a 2.5-inch LCD display, sensitivity down to ISO 1600, and a 7.1 megapixel resolution. Expect to see it in September for $299.99.

Last but not least, Olympus has also unveiled the SP-560 Ultra Zoom, boasting an 8 megapixel resolution, an astonishing 18× optical zoom, both optical and digital image stabilization, and face detection technology. The camera also features 33 shooting modes—plus our favorite, a full manual mode—and a 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder. Olympus is also offering an underwater housing and accessor lenses for the SP-560 UZ, letting users take the camera up to 130 feet underwater and offering up to a 30× optical zoom. The SP-560 UZ should hit the streets in October at a suggested price of $449.99.

Source: news.digitaltrends.com

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Kodak EasyShare V1233 : Right before the IFA 2007 event in Germany begins another Kodak camera is leaked via Kodak’s camera website. Although the camera is not confirmed by Kodak we may assume that the Kodak EasyShare V1233 will be introduced very soon. The Kodak V1233 camera offer 12 Megapixels resolution and is capable of shooting pictures at up to 4,000×3000 pixels. And like the new EasyShare Z812 IS the Kodak EasyShare V1233 is able to shoot video at up to 720p resolution; high definition is the key feature. The back of the Kodak EasyShare 1233 digital compact camera shows a large LCD high resolution indoor/outdoor 2.5-inch color display offering good brightness and clarity, even in direct sunlight.
The new Kodak V1233 camera incorporates the Kodak Color Science Chip which has to guarantee bright and live like colours. The Schneider-Kreuznach optical zoom lens (35 mm equivalent: 37–111 mm) lets the photographer close to the subject and the 5x digital zoom enlarges the picture even more. Even face detection is on board of the Kodak EasyShare V1233 digital compact camera. This feature detects faces and automatically adjusts camera settings like focus and metering.

Kodak EasyShare V1233 compact camera – Sensitivity and Stabilization
It seems that the new Kodak EasyShare V1233 lacks optical stabilization and is only offering digital image stabilization. Additionally the Kodak EasyShare V1233 provides also high ISO settings up to 3200 ISO. Officially to be able to capture details in low light conditions, but marketing will be the main reason to integrate such a non-usable feature into a compact camera. Furthermore the Kodak V1233 camera features multiple scene modes such as Children, Back light, Portrait, Snow, Beach and Panorama stich. This last feature is very nice to use in practice, however a 37mm �wide’ angle lens is not that interesting for panorama landscape photography.

Kodak EasyShare V1233 – Flash memory and Software
The images captures can be found in the 32MB internal memory or in an external Secure Digital or MMC flash memory card. The Kodak V1233 camera support SDHC (SD High Capacity) cards so you will be able to use 4GB storage capacities. The Kodak EasyShare V1233 is part of the Kodak EasyShare System, so sharing your pictures is amazingly simple. Kodak EasyShare Digital Photography System enhances the digital photography experience for consumers worldwide. The EasyShare System consists of digital cameras, picture frames, snapshot printers, online services, software, inkjet and thermal photo papers, and accessories – making picture-taking, sharing and archiving effortless. All Kodak EasyShare Products being introduced include the latest Version of Kodak EasyShare Software featuring an array of enhancements to help consumers find, create and share pictures like never before.

About Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $13.3 billion in 2006,the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s system of digital and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images; and leading Healthcare organizations rely on Kodak’s innovative products, services and customized workflow solutions to help improve patient care and maximize efficiency and information sharing within and across their enterprise.

Source: www.letsgodigital.org

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Kodak’s breakthrough image sensor for digital cameras will first see the light of day in a low-price camera for novice photographers. The company announced Tuesday that the new Kodak C513 would be the first camera to use their new sensor, which specializes in improving low-light photographs.

“Traditionally, CMOS has allowed for lower cost camera design but was not able to provide top image quality,” said John Blake, general manager of Kodak’s digital division. “Kodak has changed that dynamic with the introduction of a digital camera at a remarkably affordable price without compromising image quality or camera function.”

The $79.95 C513 is a no-frills point-and-shoot camera with a 5.0 megapixel CMOS sensor, 3X optical zoom, 2.4-inch LCD display and digital image stabilization. It comes with 16MB of onboard RAM, and an SD expansion slot to provide the real storage. Power for the camera comes from trusty (if bulky) rechargeable AA batteries. Kodak says it will be available in August.

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