Gizmodo: pma07

Leica C-Lux 2: Elegant Point-Shooter, Quick on the Draw

Charlie White — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 16:15:00 EDT

We're big Leica fans around here, even if you're talking about the point-and-shoot C-Lux 2. An update of last year's C-Lux 1, it raises its megapixels to 7.2 but keeps that 2.5-inch viewscreen in the back.

We like the short shutter delay of these Leicas, but best of all are their tack-sharp VARIO-ELMARIT lenses, and this 3.6x zoom retracts all the way into the camera body for pocket-sized totage. It's all packaged up in a satiny-smooth form factor, subtle but rich.

You'll pay dearly for this elegance, though—the best price we could find for the C-Lux 2 is just under $500, a lot more expensive than many other comparably equipped 7-megapixel shooters. If that doesn't bother you, it ships in May. – Charlie White

Product Page [Leica Camera Inc., via Digital Cameras Plus]

Best Booth Babe Ever: Samsung's Leopard Lady

Charlie White — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:15:00 EDT

Of all the booth babes we've ever seen, Samsung wins the all-time prize for this gorgeous body-painted leopard girl, holding court in the Samsung booth so convention goers could test out the company's digital SLRs.

It turns out every guy in the convention center wanted to test out his own personal equipment on the Samsung jungle set, taking those pics home for later, uh, use. So with apologies in advance to women's and animal rights groups, and with our apologies to our heathen gods for all the evil things we want to do to this young leopardess/temptress, we offer you this first photo, with the promise of many more-revealing ones after the jump (definitely NSFW):

Hey, what would the caption be for this one?

Take a gawk at the picture gallery below, which is certainly not safe for work:

PMA 07: Samsung NV11 Point-and-Shoot Hands-On

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:52:39 EST

Samsung has finally gotten serious about its point-and-shoot cameras, as evidenced by its NV11, with a Schneider 5x optical zoom lens, 10.1-megapixel sensor and face recognition. We especially like its slim good looks and super-easy user interface.

Check out the gallery, and you might agree that it's a fine example of the breed. It'll be $399, available in May. – Charlie White

Press Release [Samsung]

PMA 07: Olympus Stylus 770SW Frozen Into a Solid Block of Ice

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:45:00 EST

When we saw this solid block of ice at the Olympus booth, we simply couldn't walk by, and we reached out and touched it just to make sure it was real. Hey, wait a minute, are those real cameras frozen inside there? Sure enough, a couple of Olympus Stylus 770SW digital point-and-shooters were temporarily entombed in that huge block of ice, implying that not only are they shockproof and waterproof (to 33 feet deep) but they're also freeze-proof. What an entertaining demo!

This 770SW is one tough customer, but its compact size still allows for 2.5-inch color viewfinder. It's a 7.1-megapixel shooter with a 3x zoom, and feels incredibly solid. That viewscreen is tack-sharp, too. All this toughness isn't cheap, though—the camera will set you back $380. Neat stuff, and worth it. Take a look at the hands-on gallery for some close-up peeks. – Charlie White

Product Page [Olympus]

PMA 07 So Far: Complete Roundup

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:30:00 EST

As the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) convention rages on in Las Vegas, we're jumping all over it, showing you the best and brightest of the goings-on.

Trends? It looks like the digital SLR is making a run for the lower-end camera dollar, while at the same time, point-and-shoot models are vying for attention with fashion statements, oddball features such as waterproofness and capabilities only seen on high-end models in the past.

Here's a list of what we've covered so far, with more on the way:

HP Announces DreamColor

GE Goes All Hep Cat on Those Digital Cameras

Elinchrom EL-Skyport

Olympus E-510 and E-410 Hands-On

AlwaysOn Armadillo + Millipod Combo for Protection and Support

Minox Leica M3 Replica of a Classic Updated

D-Flector: Photography Studio in a Suitcase

Canon Selphy ES1 Photo Printer

Olympus E-Pro Concept

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Snapping Off Frames Like a House Afire

Jobo photoGPS Brings Easy GPS Photo Tagging to the Masses

Sony Alpha Prototype, First Pics of 'High Amateur' Model

Sony Alpha Flagship: First Pics

Sony Announces Expansions to Alpha DSLR Line

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Hands-On

Joby Gives GorillaPod a Dose of Growth Hormone

Pandigital 15" Frame

Canon Powershot TX-1 Hands-On With 720p in the Palm of Your Hand

Kodak Easyshare Z712IS

Hewlett-Packard R837: No More Pet Pics With Zombie Eyes

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G1: Look Mom, No Wires!

Olympus P-1: E-1's Top-Slot Replacement

Ricoh Caplio R6: Instant 16x Zoom

Nikon Spruces Up Its D40, Now the 10.2-Megapixel D40x

Olympus Mju 780: if this Camera was a Bug, it Would be a Cockroach

Olympus EVolt E410 and E510 DSLRs Now at 10MP, Both With Live View

Canon TX1 vs Xacti vs Lumix

Canon Blink Shot Cameras Won't Shoot Till Everyone's Eyes Are Open

Sony T100 and T20: for Staying In and Going Out

Canon EOS-1D Mark III Shoots 10 Frames Per Second

Canon PowerShot TX1 Shoots 720p HD, 7.1MP Stills

Canon Intros PowerShot A560 and A570 IS Entry-Level Cameras

Canon Rolls Out Two 7.1MP Digital Elph Cameras: the SD750 and SD1000

Nikon L-Series Coolpix Tickles Our Low End: 120 Bucks for 5MP

Nikon Intros Coolpix P5000 Has DSLR Brains, Point and Shoot Sensor

Nikon S50c is a Slick Point and Shoot with WiFi

Nikon S200 and S500 Cams: Start Up and Shoot in an Instant

Pentax Optio W30 Waterproof Shooter Dives Deeper Than Ever

Pentax Optio A30 Boots Up, Shoots and Focuses Quicker

Fujifilm's S700 Packs 10x Zooming Muscle and "Smart" Flash

Foveon x3-Packing Sigma SD14 DSLR to Finally Ship

Sony's PMA Leaks Reveal the Mysterious G1 and Nine Cybershot Offspring (Updated) – Charlie White

PMA 07: Olympus E-510 and E-410 Hands-On

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:50:00 EST

We got our hands on the $899 Olympus E-510, the latest digital SLR from the company that wants to spread Live View goodness across its product line. One thing we noticed immediately was the excellent view screen, with its 176° angle of view, making it easy to see even from a steep angles.

We're also pleased with the image stabilization on board, which held the thing steady even when it was zoomed all the way in. Even though one Olympus rep told us that Live View in the viewscreen was "always on," we noticed the Live View does go away when you take the picture.

Take a look at the gallery below for ten close-up views of the E-510, along with the E-410, its $799 little brother which is a bit smaller and lacks image stabilization. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Canon Selphy ES1 Lets You Take a Printer With You

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:30:00 EST

Amidst the dozens of cameras and camcorders Canon was flaunting at PMA 07, this little Selphy ES1 photo printer caught our attention. It's a diminutive portable printer that's made to take to events such as weddings and family gatherings, letting you shoot lots of pictures and then make color prints (4x8" maximum) and hand them out to everyone as you go.

It takes up very little space, is reasonably fast, and printed out some fine-looking pictures for us in our hands-on demo. It ships in April for $249. Not that we'd ever actually want to print up a bunch of pictures or anything—we're all digital around here—but if we did decide to go back to the dark ages of physical encumbrance, this jewel would be at the top of our list. Check it out, up close and personal in the gallery below. – Charlie White

PMA 07: HP Announces DreamColor, An Open System for Standard Colors All Over the Universe

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:09:33 EST

HP's Executive VP of Imaging and Printing Vyomesh Joshi (pictured above) actually made a bit of news at PMA 07 in the midst of his flurry of desperate-sounding guff and cheerleading about getting people to print more pictures so the company could continue earning astronomical profits by price gouging the public with its worth-its-weight-in-gold printer ink.

He announced DreamColor, an open standard for bringing color control and consistency across the entire digital imaging industry. At first it will be applied to HP printers, of course, but HP hopes the DreamColor logo (see it in the pic above?) will festoon any electronic device or software that has anything to do with color, bringing a consistent color standard to every device, both professional and consumer. Then they can all get along, working together in peace and harmony. But wait, there's more. Hollywood celebrities got in on the act, too.

HP trotted out DreamWorks Animation SKG co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg (pictured above, he's the "K" in the SKG) to endorse the technology. Katzenberg's certainly one who has invested a lot of time and effort into consistent color at his studio with its a string of animation hits. The company worked with HP to develop the DreamColor technology.

Said Katzenberg, "HP, with its DreamColor, has managed to create something remarkable for the marketplace." Get it? DreamWorks, DreamColor? Oprah/Uma? A consistent color standard across the entire industry? Great idea. Stop the presses. Could Utopia be around the corner? – Charlie White

PMA 07: GE Goes All Hep Cat on Those Digital Cameras and So Forth

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:48:29 EST

GE finally decided to get in on this whole "digital imaging" thing that the kids are all talking about, and bring out a whole line of consumer point-and-shoots. First announced last month, the cameras all have the whiz-bang features that one would expect, like image stabilization, face recognition, up to 12MP sensors and big bright LCDs on the back. The shocking thing about them is that they don't seem to really bring anything new to the table, besides the GE logo. They aren't really fast on the bootup; they're not bulky, but they're not the smallest cameras in the world, either.

What is the point of entering an already-saturated market with a product that fails to astound or even impress? Unless those image sensors are doing something really special, GE will have to work hard to sell these. Oh, and they had a little lunchbox-style 4x6 printer, which also seems adequate. The only word on pricing they'd give us is they'll be "competitive." See cams and printer, with specs for each, in the gallery below. – Curtis Joe Walker

PMA 07: Olympus E-Pro Concept Addresses Its Predecessor's Unpopularity with Pros

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:22:32 EST

Here's the upcoming flagship from Olympus, which is so far just a pheasant under glass, not really anything but a prototype just yet. We don't know much more than what we mentioned earlier this week, namely that it will have an articulating LCD screen, a nice touch to go along with Olympus's live view. Olympus told us that a lot of the pros really like Olympus lenses but don't much care for the top-end Olympus E-1's body—kind of like that girl who has a really nice face.

Olympus says this E-Pro (until now code-named P-1), which will make its big debut in the reality-based world sometime this year, "addresses those concerns." Wander around the gallery below to get a look at this fake body from all sides. So far, it's looking pretty damn good, although we would have preferred larger breasts. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Day Two To Be Loaded With Photasmagoric Goodness

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:58:56 EST

Day breaks here in gorgeous, sunny and somewhat fabulous Las Vegas, and it's time for Day Two of the Photo Marketing Association Convention (PMA), that photogenic confab that you won't want to miss. Stick with the Giz for the skinny on all the big happenings here at the show, where today we'll get our greasy paws on the shiniest and newest from Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, Samsung, Pentax and more. Plus, we'll find a few oddball objects here and there, too. All that coming up on our PMA 07 Day Two coverage. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Canon EOS-1D Mark III Snapping Off Frames Like a House Afire

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:52:00 EST

As promised, here's the Canon EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR firing off 10 frames per second. It's able to shoot a string of 110 frames at a time in its default large jpeg frame size at level 8 compression. Canon's Chuck Westfall, Director of Media and Customer Relationship of the Consumer Imaging Group, shows us what this hot high-end DSLR can do. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Jobo photoGPS Brings Easy GPS Photo Tagging to the Masses

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:20:00 EST

Jobo rolled out its photoGPS today, sitting up top your camera as if it were a flash unit, but it's oh so different: It geo-tags your location and saves that so you'll know right where you were when you snapped that pic. The cool thing about this is that it works with any camera with a hot shoe.

The location data is all added into the photo's file after upload to the computer using the included software. It also adds more than just latitude and longitude hieroglyphics to the image; it actually adds the place names.

This should help bring geotagging to the masses. Retail pricing is set at $149. – Curtis Joe Walker and Charlie White

Product Page [Jobo]

Breaking! PMA 07: Sony Alpha Prototype, First Pics of 'High Amateur' Model

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:56:14 EST

Sony had both its freshly-announced Alpha models under glass at PMA 2007 today, and this one will be aimed at so-called "High Amateurs." No word if that BongXedo beer bong posted here today will be required to purchase one of these DSLRs.

Just like the "Flagship" model, all Sony would reveal was that this camera is "targeted to a higher level of performance than A100," and that this particular camera was for advanced users. One of these two DSLRs will be shipping before the end of this year, but Sony wasn't saying which one. – Charlie White

PMA 07 Breaking! Sony Alpha Flagship: First Pics

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:21:50 EST

Here are a few more shots of that Sony Alpha flagship DSLR announced today. Even when we talked to Sony's Alpha Product Manager Mark Weir, he still wasn't talking. There was simply no more info available about the camera other than it'll be the highest-end product, it will incorporate Super SteadyShot in-camera image stabilization, and it'll be suited for pro shooters.

Weir wouldn't say whether this camera under glass was a working prototype, and said one of the two more-advanced Alpha cameras announced today will be released before the end of this year. Which one will be released? He wouldn't say. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Sony Press Event Live Blog

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:59:58 EST

Sony's about to start its press event here at PMA 07, and we're here to live blog it. Stay tuned and we'll continuously update, letting you know if anything of note is actually happening. There's a big crowd here, and we're listening to some truly funky music. But nobody's dancing. Yet. Refresh often—something could happen here. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Canon EOS-1D Mark III Hands-On

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:36:41 EST

We scooped the details last week of the latest supercamera, the 10.1-megapixel Canon EOS-1D Mark III, and now that we've actually held it on our hands, we can give you some first impressions.

The most extraordinary and downright startling feature is the way this camera can snap off 10 frames per second, taking pictures so quickly it sounds like a machine gun. Later in our coverage, we'll capture some video and audio of this remarkable feature in action so you can experience it for yourself. The crowd gathering around this high-end release from Canon was visibly moved.

Jump for more about one of the other impressive new features for the EOS-1D Mark III:

We also took a look at the camera's live-view capability, where you can see what you're framing up in the viewscreen. Just push the big button next to the screen and after you hear a subtle clunk, you see the image right there in that nice big 3-inch screen. However, when you're actually taking the picture, that live view goes away. Nevertheless, this is a welcome innovation for those who sometimes chase celebrities in a crowd and must hold that camera high to actually get a shot.

Another first impression: the thing is huge and heavy. It's about the size and weight of a brick, so don't hold any illusions that you might want to carry a couple of these around just for some casual shooting. Of course, the professionals who might pick up this $4000 camera are already well aware of that. – Charlie White

PMA 07: Minox Leica M3 Replica of a Classic Updated

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:50:37 EST

We're not sure who buys these Minox Leica M3 mini-replica cameras, but they sure are cute. They've updated the old one with an LCD on the back and a 3.2-megapixel sensor inside (though they advertise it as a 5MP through interpolation).

The optional flash is a nice addition, too. Despite its diminutive size, even the hotshoe atop the camera is live. Maybe someone will make an adapter so that it could be used with a normal flash, but then again this is about as niche as a market could possibly get.

Check out the cute little ass-end of this babe, where that new LCD viewscreen resides:

You just want to reach out and pinch it! – Curtis Joe Walker

Product Page [Minox]

PMA 07: Joby Gives GorillaPod a Dose of Growth Hormone

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:35:52 EST

Joby introduced a new member of the GorillaPod family at PMA 2007, the GorillaPod Solo. Instead of a tripod, it's just got one long leg that can wrap securely around much larger objects than the original versions can.

It comes in two sizes, 20" and 30". It uses the same quick release head as the GorillaPod SLR, so it can even be adapted to a shoe mount for off-camera flash (Strobists rejoice!). Prices are $29 and $39 respectively. – Curtis Joe Walker

PMA 07: Pandigital 15" Frame, Thinner But with a Huge Honkin' Screen

Charlie White — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:14:13 EST

Sure, there are digital picture frames popping up everywhere, but this Pandigital model just rolled out here at PMA 2007 is different. First of all, it's huge, 15 inches diagonal with a 1024x768 screen. That's a 4:3 aspect ratio, a slight disadvantage since most photos aren't taken in that shape, but the unit's firmware cuts off the sides without distorting the image, and its results are excellent. It's a sharp, clear image with excellent colors and no visible pixelization.

Like Pandigital's other frames, it has 256MB of internal memory, 6-in-1 card reader, and it functions as a USB host where you can plug in your camera and play back pictures directly from the frame. We were impressed with its thinness, a mere 3/8 of an inch out the back of the frame, making it suitable for hanging on the wall without taking up too much depth. It will be available in cherry or black in May for $299. Not a bad price for a 15-inch screen.

There are even better features in store for this 15-incher; Pandigital tips us off to their future plans for this frame, after the jump.

Pandigital reps teased us with a promise of Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities by June with a firmware update, where you'll be able to transfer photos to the frame wirelessly. The kicker? They told us the frame would have Internet capabilities where you'll be able to download RSS feeds from photo sites such as Flickr by Q4 of this year. That we can't wait to see. – Charlie White