Hands-on review: Kodak EasyShare Mini digital camera

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Summary: Kodak brought a handful of new compact digital cameras to CES 2011, and one of the tiniest of them all was the EasyShare Mini. Here’s the hands-on review.

Kodak brought a handful of new compact digital cameras to CES 2011, and one of the tiniest of them all was the EasyShare Mini. Here’s the hands-on review.

SET-UP

Setting up the EasyShare Mini is rather simple and much like any other basic point-and-shoot camera. As soon as the battery has been fully charged and you turn the device on, the menu appears for the basic settings to be configured: date, time, etc.

One inconvenience I noticed right away is that I couldn’t start taking photos immediately because there isn’t an SD card included in the box. Frustrating, but it is mentioned on the outside of the box so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

After I installed my own SDHC card, it was time to get started taking photos and playing with all the preset functions available.

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

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Nikon may introduce an interchangeable lens compact camera by end of year

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Summary: A report in Japan’s top business daily indicates that Nikon will introduce an ILC by end of year for around $1,000.

Though there have long been rumors that Nikon will be joining the likes of Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sony, and Samsung and introducing an interchangeable lens compact (ILC) camera (some even going back a couple of years), things have been heating up of late. After Bloomberg published an article on Wednesday discussing how Canon and Nikon are losing digital camera market share due to their lack of ILC cameras, Reuters picked up a report from Japan’s Nikkei Business Daily yesterday that not only confirms that Nikon is planning to introduce an ILC before the end of the year, but also that the price will be between 70,000 to 100,000 yen (i.e., $900 to $1,300), including a kit lens. That will position Nikon’s anticipated ILC competitively with such cameras as the $900 Olympus PEN E-P3 and the recently announced Sony Alpha NEX-7, which will ship in November for $1,350. Reuters followed up with an update today indicating that Nikon’s stock was up for the third straight day because of the Nikkei report. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a September 21st announcement!

[Via Reuters]

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Janice got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since.

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Canon PowerShot S100: Successor to popular S95 adds GPS, 5x zoom

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Summary: Canon announces the new PowerShot S100, updating its popular S95 high-end compact with a longer and wider zoom lens, GPS, and 1080p video.

Canon is making waves today with the announcement of the new PowerShot S100, a successor to its wildly popular S90 and S95 high-end compact cameras. Though the super-compact body design hasn’t changed significantly (save for the addition of a small grip and a new silver color option), the new S100 is really a complete overhaul internally — a good thing considering the competition has gotten fiercer since the S95 was released in August of last year, with the addition of cameras like the Olympus XZ-1 and the recently announced Fujifilm FinePix X10 and Nikon Coolpix P7100.

The biggest difference between the S95 and S100 is a whole new imaging system: In addition to the faster new processor and a completely new sensor, the S100 sports a wider and longer 5x zoom lens — a 24-120mm equivalent, f/2.0-5.9 beauty (vs. the S95’s 28-105mm, f/2.0-4.9 3.8x lens). It’s still nice and bright on the wide angle, but as with the S95, the telephoto is limited to fairly narrow maximum aperture because of the camera’s compact size. Canon has upped the resolution to 12-megapixels while maintaining a 1/1.7-inch sensor size, but also opted for a high-sensitivity (read backside illuminated) CMOS sensor rather than a CCD, which may mitigate a resulting drop in low-light image quality.

The other major addition to the S100 is a built-in GPS receiver to enable automatic geotagging and location logging for photos and videos. The bundled Map Utility software lets you map a route of your photo locations using Google Maps and create customized maps that you can share.

Other big changes from the S95 include:

Full 1080p HD video recording at 24fps (720p at 30fps)5x optical zoom while shooting videoDedicated video record button240fps high-speed video capture in Super Slow Motion Movie scene modeElectronic wind filter for improved sound recordingBroader sensitivity range of ISO 80-6400Faster continuous shooting at 2.3fps (or 8 frames at 9.6fps in High-Speed Burst HQ scene mode)

The other less-welcome change is a bump in list price from the S95’s $399.99 price tag to $429.99. The new model will hit store shelves in November.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 dual-lens 3D shooter to sell for $500

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Summary: Previewed at the IFA 2011 show in Germany in September, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 is a new 3D-capable compact point-and-shoot camera available just in time for the holidays.

By most accounts, the economy is still in the doldrums, but camera manufacturers seem to think some of us have money to burn, coming out with niche-market point-and-shooters with high-end price tags just in time for the holiday season. First there was the admittedly cool but pricey Lytro Light Field Camera (starting at about $400), and now Panasonic seems to think folks will be willing to plunk down $500 for the ability to snapshoot in 3D.

The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1, first announced at IFA 2011, follows in the footsteps of the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 (and its predecessor the Real 3D W1), with a dual-lens/dual-sensor design that produces 3D and 2D still images as well as 3D or 2D HD video. Selling for $100 more than the $400 Fujifilm 3D W3, the 3D1 is a step up from the Fujifilm model (which is just over a year old and ripe for an update). Though it’s slimmer and lighter than the 3D W3, the Panasonic 3D1 sports a similar design, using two 4x zoom lenses with folded optics as well as a sliding front-panel lens cover. I prefer Panasonic’s use of wider-angle zoom lenses (25-100mm equivalent for 2D stills, 30-120mm for 3D stills, and 27-108mm for video).

Both cameras have similarly small sensors (1/2.3-inches, which are typical for compact cameras), but the Panasonic delivers 12.8 megapixel images vs. the Fujifilm’s 10 megapixels. More megapixels on a same-size sensor would typically mean poorer low-light image quality, but Panasonic opted to use “high-sensitivity MOS” sensors, which may mitigate any loss in quality.

Like the Fujifilm, the Panasonic can shoot two 2D images at once, each using a different angle of view with independently controlled zoom functions, and the Panasonic can even shoot 12-megapixel 2D photos and 1080i full-HD 2D videos simultaneously.  It’s also much speedier, with the ability to shoot 8 fps in continuous shooting mode.

The biggest difference between the cameras, though, is the Panasonic’s full touch-screen operation. The screen itself is a 460,000-dot 3.5-inch touch screen (whereas the Fujifilm has a higher-resolution lenticular display) and most of the cameras features are accessed through the touch-screen menus. There are no mode dials or rocker buttons–in fact, save for the shutter button, zoom lever, on/off switch, dedicated video button, and a 2D-3D toggle switch, there are no external controls to speak of. The dual-lens shooting options, for example, put the touch screen to good use, allowing you to touch on the image preview for each lens and control the zoom on each independently and intuitively.

The 3D1 also sports the usual assortment of point-and-shoot features, such as Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode, with optical image stabilization, AF tracking, automatic scene selection, face recognition, and automatic/intelligent ISO control and exposure. There’s even an Intelligent Handheld Nightshot feature, that layers multiple consecutively shot images to create brighter night scenery shots.

While you can’t view 3D images on the camera itself, you can view 3D photos and videos on Panasonic Viera 3D TV and Blu-ray Disc players that support the AVCHD format.

The 3D1 will be available in December for $499.99.

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Fujifilm announces FinePix F600EXR compact megazoom with improved GPS and motion detection

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Summary: Fujifilm updates its compact megazoom F Series with better GPS features, motion detection, and a new “intelligent” digital zoom.

At first glance, the Fujifilm FinePix F600EXR announced today looks a lot like the other two compact megazooms in Fujifilm’s F Series, the F500EXR and F550EXR which were announced at this year’s CES. The F600EXR sports the same body design (with a new rubberized coating to improve the grip and reduce fingerprints), and like its predecessors uses a 16-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, a 15x wide-angle zoom lens (24-360mm equivalent), and a 460,000-dot, 3-inch LCD.

Like the F550EXR, the F600EXR supports raw and raw+JPG modes and includes a built-in GPS sensor, but the F600 ups the ante with a new Landmark Navigator mode that adds an on-camera database of roughly one million points of interest (POI). In addition to overlaying POIs on the screen, the camera can also display your relative position and distance. By pointing your lens down, you can get a 1.5km radar view of landmarks — a nice touch.  Place names are user-editable, and you can perform image searches according to the edited place names as well.

Another new feature in the F600EXR is its built-in motion sensor, which enhances the camera’s new EXR Auto mode with motion detection. This advanced scene recognition mode detects 54 scene types and automatically chooses the optimal settings (e.g., exposure, white balance, sensor mode) to create a blur-free image, even in low light. Using the motion detection technology, the camera can optimize sensitivity and image stabilization settings when it detects a moving object, in order to capture a sharp exposure .

The F600EXR also introduces a new Intelligent Digital Zoom mode, which selectively boosts sharpness in the cropped-in image that the digital zoom produces, theoretically improving the image quality over standard digital zooms.

Other features include:

High-speed auto focus (up to 0.16 seconds)Continuous burst shooting (up to 11fps for 32 frames; 8fps at full resolution)Motion Panorama mode for 360-degree panoramasISO sensitivity up to 12,800Five Film Simulation Modes (special effects filters)Shoots high-speed movies with slow motion playback at up to 320 fpsMini HDMI output1080p video at 30 fps with stereo sound

The FinePix F600EXR will ship in October for $349.95.

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Olympus PEN E-PL3 interchangeable lens compact camera to ship in September

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Summary: Olympus announces pricing and availability for the impressive PEN E-PL3, which might just give big brother E-P3 a run for its money.

Though it was announced last month along with two other new cameras in Olympus’ PEN series of interchangeable lens compact (ILC) cameras, the Olympus PEN E-PL3 is just now getting pricing and a ship date.  Olympus announced today that the E-PL3 will hit U.S. store shelves in September and will be priced at $699.99, bundled with either a 14-42mm, f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens or a 17mm f/2.8 prime lens.

The E-PL3 is a successor to the E-PL1 and E-PL2, Olympus’ “PEN Lite” cameras that offer a lower-priced and easier to use interchangeable lens option for users upgrading from point-and-shoot cameras.  Olympus broke new ground with the E-PL1 when it was announced in February of 2010, being the first ILC vendor to offer a lower-end model, and I actually found the E-PL2 more satisfying to shoot with than its higher-end siblings the E-P1 and E-P2, so I’m not so surprised that the E-PL3 is looking like it might be a better deal than the E-P2 and even possibly the recently announced E-P3.

With the E-PL3, Olympus appears to be further differentiating the Lite line from the high-end line in terms of overall design and feature set, while still drawing on many of the strengths of the new E-P3. Most obviously, the more compact body styling moves away from the retro look of its predecessors (and the higher-end line), and looks much more like a point-and-shoot (perhaps taking a page from Sony’s NEX line of ILCs). In fact, the E-PL3 is 25 percent smaller than the E-PL2. It’s also the first of the PEN line to sport a tilting LCD (a 3-inch,

460,000-dot, widescreen beauty) — a great addition. Olympus did sacrifice the built-in flash to keep the body so compact, but bundles an external flash that mounts via the camera’s accessory port. It’s a convenient way to lighten your load if you don’t need it, but it’s kind of ironic since the inclusion of a built-in flash in the original E-PL1 was widely regarded as a reaction to criticism of the E-P1’s lack of one.

Apropos to its role as a more casual and compact shooter, the E-PL3 offers faster burst-mode shooting of up to 5.5fps (compared to 3fps burst-mode in the E-P3 and the E-PL2). Like the E-PL2 before it, the E-PL3 only offers six art filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, and Dramatic Tone) while the E-P3 adds four others to the mix (Pale & Color, Light Tone, Gentle Sepia, and Cross Process).

Still, the E-PL3 has been upgraded with several specs that are closer to the E-P3’s than the E-PL2. For instance, the faster autofocus system offers 35 focus points like the E-P3 (vs. 11 for the E-PL2), and the sensitivity range has been boosted up to ISO 12,800 like the E-P3 (vs. 6,400 in the E-PL2). Likewise, the E-PL3 matches the E-P3’s 1080i AVCHD video recording capabilities, besting the E-PL2’s 720p AVI Motion JPEG.

Unfortunately, all the high-end features come at a price: The E-PL3 camera kit has been bumped up to $699.99 (whereas the E-PL1 and E-PL2 were both priced at $599.99 when they launched). Still, even at a $100 premium, it’s a pretty compelling camera and I’m not convinced the higher-end E-P3 is a better deal at $899.99.  With the E-PL3 packing such a punch, and being smaller and sporting the tilting screen to boot (though the E-P3’s is a higher-resolution model with touchscreen capabilities), it’s arguably the better camera to snap up.

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Top five Black Friday digital camera deals (some up to 50% off)

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Summary: Electronics retailers are out in full force touting big Black Friday deals. Check out the best of the digital camera deals here.

With digital camera sales slumping, retailers will be going all out to try to move some product during the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy.  Black Friday deals on digital cameras and camcorders have already been announced by a slew of electronics stores, with Best Buy leading the charge with at least 30 cameras and camcorders going on sale at 12:00am, November 25 (and a handful available the day before on BestBuy.com).

Of course, some deals are better than others, so here are my picks for the best digital camera deals so far:

Canon EOS Rebel T3i
This is my current favorite sub-$1000 digital SLR, and since it’s ripe for an update early next year (say, February or March?) camera sellers are likely looking to move their stock this holiday season.  Best Buy has the best Black Friday deals on the T3i, but to get the biggest savings you’ll need to buy the most expensive kit:  The T3i, with two lenses (18-55mm and 55-250mm) will sell for $949.99 with an 8GB SD card, 55mm UV filter, and a bag thrown in. The same configuration is currently selling on Bestbuy.com for $1,079.96, which means you’ll get a healthy savings of about $130 (Amazon currently sells the camera with those lenses for as low as $999, but you don’t get the “freebies” thrown in at that price). Of course, if you don’t want all the accoutrements, Amazon currently has the T3i selling for as low as $764 with just the 18-55mm lens (Best Buy will sell the single lens kit plus the SD card, UV filter, and bag for $799 on Black Friday).

Sony NEX-5
Though it’s been succeeded by newer models (the Sony NEX-7 and NEX-5N), the NEX-5 is still a fine option among interchangeable lens compact (ILC) cameras, with its larger APS-C-sized sensor, sleek magnesium alloy body design, and full 1080i AVCHD video capability. And it’s actually the only ILC I’ve spotted among the Black Friday announcements so far. Best Buy will be offering the NEX-5 with an 18-55mm kit lens for $499.99–that’s a good $150 less than the price at Bestbuy.com (and Amazon for that matter) at this writing. You’ll be able to get the camera with an additional 16mm wide-angle lens as well as an 8GB SD card and a bag for $629.99, which is still less than the pre-sale price of the single-lens kit (sans SD card and bag).

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS
This compact megazoom is the camera I recently recommended to my brother as an all-purpose point-and-shoot. I don’t mind toting around a slightly bulkier (though still pocketable) camera in exchange for the versatility of a 14x zoom lens, and the built-in GPS technology makes it easy to geotag your images. Staples is currently offering the biggest savings on the SX230, with a Black Friday price of $249.99 ($30 less than the current Staples price and more than $20 less than you can get it at Amazon or Best Buy). If you’re a BJ’s Wholesale club member, you can also snap it up there for $249.99 and get a bonus 8GB SD card gratis (non-members have to pay a surcharge to buy at BJs.com).

Nikon Coolpix S8100
To get even bigger savings on a compact megazoom, you can opt for the older Nikon Coolpix S8100. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Canon SX230 (and the 10x zoom lens isn’t as wide nor as long), but it’s still a good camera at much bigger discount.  Best Buy will be selling it for $149.99, which is a whopping half off the current selling price and a good $95 less than the lowest current price on Amazon. Best Buy will also sell the camera bundled with a battery, 8GB SD card, and case for $179.96, which it claims is a $217 savings.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W570
For those on a tighter budget, this ultracompact shooter has been one of my go-to recommendations. It’s  simple to operate, super slim, and it’s been selling for under $180 since it was released in February. Current pricing at Best Buy and Amazon is as low as $125, but you can snap it up at Best Buy for just $99.99 on Black Friday. And for another $20 they’ll throw in a 4GB SD card and a case.

For a rolling list of available deals at over 25 retailers (on more than 12 categories of consumer electronics and tech gear including cameras), don’t miss ZDNet’s Ultimate Black Friday 2011 Guide.

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