Digital Shot

Aren’t economies of scale just the best? For example, the same $235 that’ll buy you Ricoh’s six megapixel Caplio RR630 point-and-shoot camera today will soon get you its upcoming replacement which adds almost half an inch to the display but still manages to drop about 20 vital grams from the overall weight. When it ships next month, the 130-gram RR660 will offer the same resolution (actually, it’s .01 megapixels lower, but close enough) and 3x zoom as the RR630, along with a 2.4-inch TFT-LCD, 16MB of internal memory (supported by an SD slot), and the usual assortment of pre-programmed scene settings for hassle-free snapshots. Doesn’t sound too bad, but it still seems like you’re getting a better deal from other six megapixel models like the Canon A540 or Nikon Coolpix L2. — we’ll wait until we see a review or two to pass final judgement, though.

Ricoh’s six megapixel Caplio RR660 point-and-shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jun 2006 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since they don’t release these products in the US, you might not know that Acer’s got quite the little digital camera business going on overseas, and now they’ve announced three more new models to join the 8.28 megapixel CP 8660 we spotted earlier. If you were hoping for some of the retro styling or compelling features we saw on the CP-8660, though, you’ll probably be disappointed, as there’s not much noteworthy about the 5.05 megapixel CE 5430 and 6.36 megapixel CE 6430 point-and-shoots or the 5.05 megapixel CL 5300 (pictured), other than the fact that this latter model seems to be Acer’s first foray into ultracompacts. Both new members of the CE line feature those standard 3x optical zooms that have become so tiresome along with 2.36-inch TFT LCDs (no viewfinder here), while the 5300 sports a 2.0-inch LCD and seemingly no optical zoom. Rounding out the ho-hum specs for all three devices are a USB 1.1 connection, SD slot, PictBridge support, and that old standby, QVGA video capture (thankfully it’s at least 30fps), although so far pricing remains a mystery. Keep reading to check out the two new CE models, although we should warn you that they look like a thousand other cameras you’ve seen before…

So Casio’s just announced that it’s taking the six megapixel Exilim EX-Z60 and bumping the resolution up to 7.2 megapixels in a new model whose name you can probably guess, while at the same time managing to make it just a little more pocket-friendly by shaving a few millimeters off the depth. Besides those extra million or so pixels, though, the Exilim EX-Z70’s specs remain nearly identical to its sibling’s, so the 2.5-inch LCD, 3x optical zoom, and digital image stabilization will come as little surprise. Retailing for around $425, a black version of this 118-gram point-and-shooter will be available at the beginning of July, while a silver edition will hit the streets about a month later. Keep reading to get a view from the back, though if you’re familiar with Z60, you’ll have seen it all before…

Continue reading Casio introduces 7.2 megapixel Exilim EX-Z70

Casio introduces 7.2 megapixel Exilim EX-Z70 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Proving once again that “outdated technology” still has its place among today’s high-tech products, old-school film cameras may soon be the only shooters not rendered ineffective in the face of a new device that promises to identify and disable their digital counterparts in secure environments. Currently still in the prototype phase, the device developed by researchers at the Georgia Tech College of Computing’s Interactive and Intelligent Computing Division uses its own set of digital cameras along with a scanning laser to inspect a given area for telltale signs of CCD imagers (shape, size, reflectivity), and subsequently shoots out concentrated beams of light to overwhelm the sensors of offending gadgets. Although the device is still unable to accurately detect camcorders whose CCDs are set farther back from the lens than regular still cameras, once that obstacle is overcome, this technology is expected to be deployed by governments and businesses as an anti-espionage technique or in movie theaters as a way of combating piracy. See, you thought you were ahead of the game with your ten megapixel cameraphone, but it’s actually the spies and pirates equipped with those old medium-format Pentaxes who will soon rise to the top of their respective professions.

[Via Dvorak Uncensored]

Prototype device detects, disables digital cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Old school film camera manufacturer Leica has taken yet another step towards the scary new world of filmless shooters by announcing that the majority of its lens lineup will receive 6-bit coding for use with the company’s upcoming Digital M model. Save for the 135-millimeter APO-TELYT-M, all current Leica lenses leaving the factory after July 1st will sport marks representing binary numbers on each of the six fields in the bayonet ring, which the Digital M will optically read in order to optimize image quality. Luckily for current Leica lens owners, many models released after 1963 can be retrofitted with the coding for use with the M, although the procedure will set you back $175. Non-coded lenses will still work with the M — which is scheduled for release by the end of the year — but they will not be able to take advantage of the image enhancements or EXIF-ready data offered by the new models.

Leica coding lenses to prep for Digital M originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.