Here's a sampling of user interfaces across compact cameras from every major digital camera maker: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Casio, Olympus and Fujifilm. User interfaces matter in these cameras more than ever because they're increasingly the major way you drill down to change settings or switch modes—rather than manually cranking a dial, like on a pro DSLR. Some are pretty good (Canon, Samsung) while some are pretty bad (Casio).

The better ones tend to use a list or grid style, where everything is clearly laid out and easy to access, and more UIs seem to be trending toward the branching list model—when you highlight something, you can see its parameters underneath it. Fonts are rough on some but clearly polished on others. This is a make-or-break issue, since quick visibility is key when you shift from a button UI, or a visual one that only relies on icons.

Canon actually now has two sets of user interfaces: The old one you're used to if you've used Canon lately, and a totally new one that they're rolling out on two of their new cameras. It's slicker, with pop out animations and a more modern font, but I think a bit more confusing since it doesn't show you everything at once. It uses a list style for displaying settings. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's a solid UI.

Nikon has a few different UIs, but the style isn't even consistent within one camera. Oddly, its touchscreen camera shares its ugly UI with some of their other cameras, with few, if any tweaks to make it touch-friendly. It's only Nikon's second-gen touch camera, but its meh UI stands in contrast to the pretty capable one on their DSLRs.

Sony, too, uses the same UI on their touchscreens as they do on their non-touchscreen cameras. It works about as well in touch as it does on non-touch cameras—which is better than Nikon's I feel, since it uses a cross bar type of GUI that Sony's good at. Maybe slightly bigger buttons would help. Overall, Sony's is one of the nicer camera UIs—not terribly confusing.

Too much stuff happens on the back of their cameras, but Panasonic's touch UI seems 'specially designed for fingers, with big, finger-friendly options. (I didn't notice it on their other cams, so I think it was just for the touch FX580, but I could be wrong.) Their standard non-touch UI isn't too bad—I'd put it in the middle of the pack.

Olympus goes with a unique icon style, but it's pretty confusing in terms of trying to get to stuff quickly or navigate backwards and forwards, since you don't know what becomes before or after something in the hierarchy, conceptually speaking. That said, it looks better than the messy menu on the back of their latest DSLR.

Casio has the worst UI out of any camera I checked out. It's cluttered, tiny, ugly and every other sin in the book.

Basic, boring, not particularly helpful.

I mentioned how much I liked Samsung's list UI on the TL320 earlier. It's straightforward, easy to navigate and looks pretty good. When you highlight something, its sub-settings pop up as a list on the right, so you know what you'll be adjusting when you drill down a level. Their other UI isn't quite as good, but it's also fairly straightforward, if slightly more cluttered.

Here are all the touch UIs together. You'd think Panasonic's was the best, except it's wildly inconsistent about when you can touch a menu item and when you can't. So Sony wins by a nose. Weird, Sony winning a UI battle, I know. Nikon's touch interface is just too grotesque to be considered.

Camera UIs can definitely get better, and really need to, because it's clear that the feature-bloat train isn't going to slow down anytime soon. But it's a tricky balance: How do you simplify a user interface for quick, easy access to functions while containing the smorgasbord of new features crammed into every generation of cameras? Can you even make a truly usable touch camera? Uneasy questions without easy answers.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year.

As the video shows, Olympus was downright sadistic with their live stress testing, exhibiting supreme confidence in their product's ruggedness. Not just content with a drop test, they also placed 200 pounds of force on their Stylus Tough 8000, froze it in a block of ice and let attendees freely submerge working cameras in a water tank. Bravo! Here's three gold stars for your good work!

Canon and Panasonic, take notes. I'll expect more next time. Much more.

This camera is clearly for those more professionally minded, and isn't smaller or lighter than some of its competitors. The dual dials up top seem a bit excessive considering there are still plenty of buttons on the back, but all in all, it feels good in your hand. And knowing the Foveon X3 sensor it's powered by, the images will more or less be decent as well.

This is what I picture when I think of a camera that doesn't take any shit, like a Marine. (There's an army green and charcoal, not just orange, speaking of.) It's a no BS block of brushed metal that's slim enough to actually slide into your pocket. (To me, despite being bright orange, it's still less Mountain Dew EXTREME style than Olympus's yellowyellowyellow Tough 6000.) Spec-wise, it's a lot like the D10, actually—12-megapixel, but it shoots 720p video instead of VGA, stands up to beatings and diving—though it costs $70 more, at $400. Clarification: Canon's D10 doesn't shoot 720p, it shoots VGA—I lumped 'em together a little too hard.

It's lighter than you would expect, and fairly comfortable to use, despite having a really rigid appearance. What did throw me off is the shutter button—it's that textured rectangle on top that's right behind the slider for zooming in and out. It's an unnatural shape and position, at least for me. Still, even based on form factor only, while I like the D10's design as a concept, the TS1 is what I'd be more likely to bring with me—mostly because it's actually small enough to come along.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

The reason Canon gave for the D10 being so bulbous is to make the buttons big and easy to use underwater (which, if you look at 'em, while they're all very distinct and well separated, except for the giant shutter button, that reason doesn't hold a lot of water, really) and because the 3x zoom lens is designed to not build up any condensation inside. And, as you saw, despite being the Hulkiest toughcam we've seen today, Canon was the wimpiest about how much abuse they were willing to dish out to it. It's like wearing Kevlar and asking people to only shoot at you with paintballs. It uses the same image sensor as every other 12-megapixel, 720p video camera in Canon's new lineup (but for some reason doesn't shoot 720p like the others, as we noted in the announcement), so you can expect comparable still image quality to them, if you're curious about the guts.

So, while it looks perfect for underwater adventures frolicking with mermaids and I want to love it unconditionally, I don't know if this is the camera I'd take. Unless I wasn't wearing any pants.

That's because it's really teeny and the easiest to stick in your pants, and it pulls off the square form factor really nicely without being boring. I don't think it's quite as comfortable to hold as its slightly larger, more ergonomic-minded older brothers because it just borders on being crampy to use, but this will fit in your jeans pocket better than any other Canon camera (Sony's typically been the master of truly pocketable point-and-shoots), and it shoots 720p video.

Unfortunately, it's still using Canon's old UI—a couple of the newer models have a slicker, more list-oriented menu style (more on that later)—but at least the button-layout is relatively straightforward. Oh yeah, the form factor really is the reason to buy this thing. Why? Every one of Canon's new 12-megapixel cameras uses the same image sensor, and this only has a 3x zoom (the step up models have a 5x zoom lens).

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

The X70 has a 26-624mm lens, 12-megapixel sensor, 2.7-inc LCD and "Triple Shake Reduction" image stabilization. It can also has an 11fps burst mode, face detection (up to 32 of 'em at once), and a macro mode that can get in as close as a centimeter.

While it does shoot 720p video, the downside is that it only captures 15fps when doing so. But it can also shoot at 480p, QVGA and VGA resolutions.

The size and weight of the camera aren't bad—it's definitely light for it's size, and is noticeably smaller than any DSLR—but the build quality suffers a little bit. It definitely feels plasticky in the hand (part of this being it's light weight), though not entirely flimsy. It's zoom capability, however, is pretty snappy, able to go from 0x to 24x in about the time a normal point and shoot takes to go to max optical zoom. The lens seemed to focus pretty easily, and generally took photos in a quick manner.

The X70 is scheduled for an April release and will cost $400. [Giz@PMA 2009]

The 600fps slow-mo shoots at a tiny 640x72 resolution—this isn't a surprise given the resolution of the Casio's awesome slow-mo cams—but you can bump up the resolution by bumping the frame rate down to 300 (480x112) or 120 (480x272). It uses a Konica Minolta lens with 5x optical zoom, with SDHC as for storage.

The Everio X supports 1920x1080 AVCHD, and like I said, can manage 5.3-megapixel stills while in video mode. It uploads to Youtube with one touch and has a new optical image stablization apparently so advanced, the presenter couldn't really tell us how it worked. It also includes a variety of scene modes, including Food mode, Document mode and the extremely creepy Sleeping Face mode (wtf?!).

JVC says this camera is for the early adopter market who want high-end features. As such, the camera is roughly 2.5" x 6" x 1.5", and weighs about a half a pound. It doesn't feel like the lightest, or the smallest camera, but for what it does, its a pretty small package. The jog dial on the back is able to run through most of the main shooting modes, which saves time and effort.

Build quality is pretty solid, and has a nice textured feel on the outsize so it sticks in your hand. The laser touch capacitive strip on the side of the LCD offers another way to zoom and record, though I still prefer the feel of the hard buttons. The JVC Everio X should be out some time in May or June and will cost $1000.

New Nine-Megapixel JVC Everio X Hybrid Camera
Simultaneously Shoots Full HD Video and Digital Stills

Small, light all-in-one camera also shoots slow-motion video and high-speed stills.

LAS VEGAS, March 3, 2009 – JVC today announced a new dual-use camera that shoots high definition video and high resolution digital still images. The new hybrid Everio GZ-X900, or Everio X, is a small, light, all-in-one camera that offers the powerful shooting combination of Full HD video and nine -megapixel still photos, plus creative shooting functions such as slow motion video and high speed "motor drive" still photography.

Highlights of the new JVC Everio X include:
The camera is small enough to slip into a shirt pocket and at just 0.66 pounds is one of the lightest cameras that can shoot 1920 x 1080 Full HD AVCHD video;
Shoots nine-megapixel (no interpolation) digital stills and Full HD video with 1000 TV lines of horizontal resolution – close to the theoretical maximum horizontal resolution for 1920 x 1080 high definition video for no-compromise images;
10x slow motion shooting plays back 2.4 seconds of recorded video over 24 seconds;
Up to six nine-megapixel stills can be shot at 15 images per second – faster than what digital SLRs can achieve;
Simultaneous five-megapixel digital still shooting while recording Full HD video – photos can be shot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000 second without interrupting video recording;
Records video and stills to SDHC memory cards.

The new Everio X was designed for the consumer who wants to shoot high quality digital stills and HD video, but wants the convenience of a single camera. While most conventional video camcorders shoot digital stills and most digital still cameras shoot video, the secondary capabilities of these cameras don't offer sufficient quality for many users. Everio X solves that dilemma by providing high quality stills and top quality HD video.

Unique Design
The design of Everio X is a distinct departure from other camcorders, including other Everio models. About the size of a chunky smart phone, Everio X is a slab-sided rectangle without the handgrip, protrusions or indentations found on most camcorders. The design allows plenty of flexibility in how the camera is held – from below, above, or whatever suits the situation and the user's preference. There are top-mounted zoom and record buttons, and a second set next to the LCD screen for additional shooting flexibility. The camera is black with silver accents, with the right side featuring a textured carbon fiber-like finish to provide a secure grip and resist smudges.

Small enough to easily slip into a pocket or purse, Everio X weighs just 0.66 pounds (including the internal battery and a memory card) and measures 2.6 inches tall, 4.88 inches long and just 1.46 inches wide.

1000 TV Lines of Full HD and Nine-Megapixel Stills
A 10.3-megapixel CMOS sensor is at the heart of the camera's superior image quality. The high quality nine-megapixel digital still photos the camera shoots correlate directly to the un-interpolated performance of this 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor. For the first time ever, it is also the source of 1920 x 1080/60i Full HD AVCHD format video. The camera records at a stunning 1000 TV lines of horizontal resolution – close to the theoretical maximum of 1920 x 1080 Full HD.

JVC's new proprietary optical image stabilization (OIS) technology applies camera shake compensation optically at the Everio X lens entrance to ensure effectiveness throughout the zoom range and allow high quality shooting without a tripod. Everio X also uses a new KONICA MINOLTA HD LENS with a 5X optical zoom.

Further contributing to the camera's high image quality is JVC's HD Gigabrid Premium image processing engine. In addition, face detection technology assures accurate focus and exposure, and HDMI™ V.1.3 with x.v.Color™ provides increased color accuracy when connected to HDTV displays.

10x Slow Motion Shooting, High-Speed Motor Drive Stills
Slow motion video recording is a key Everio X feature. The camera's high-speed recording function shoots ultra-slow motion video. Any one of three speeds – 120 frames per second (fps), 300fps and 600fps – can be selected; the faster the recording speed, the slower the playback motion. With this function, approximately four-second bursts of video are recorded that are then played back over a period of up to 24 seconds, a maximum of 10 times longer than normal speed.

Recording speed
Image size
Recording time
Playback time

600fps
640 x 72 pixels
Approx. 2.4 sec.
Approx. 24 sec. (10x)

300fps
480 x 116 pixels
Approx. 4 sec.
Approx. 20 sec. (5x)

120fps
480 x 270 pixels
Approx. 8 sec.
Approx. 16 sec. (2x)

In the still mode, Everio X offers high-speed shooting, similar to the motor drive function found in some mechanical still cameras. As many as six nine-megapixel photos can be shot at up to 15 images per second, a speed that surpasses what's offered by typical nine-megapixel DSLR cameras. Everio X also allows shooting of 1920 x 1080/60i Full HD video and fully 5.3 megapixel stills at the same time - a unique advantage of this all-in-one camera. While recording video, photos can be shot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000 second without interrupting video recording.

5 Mega simultaneous still mode
Shooting speed/
Maximum limit

High speed
60 images / sec.
11 images

Medium speed
11 images / sec.
11 images

Low speed
4 images / sec.
No limit

Global Sharing
With the worldwide explosion of interest in video sharing, Everio X offers easy solutions for distribution. A One Touch Export function provided by bundled software for Windows® makes it easy to export videos into iTunes® for playback on an iPod® or iPhone®. And the One Touch Upload function, when used with the included software for Windows, simplifies uploading videos to YouTube™.

The DVD Creation function makes it easy to transfer video to a disc for archiving or sharing. Create a disc directly from the camera using the JVC Everio CU-VD50 burner/player or CU-VD3 burner SHARE STATION. Other direct storage solutions include third party external hard disk drives from LaCie and Seagate, and an external Blu-ray Disc Burner from LaCie.

The Everio GZ-X900 will be available in June at a nationally advertised value of $999.95.

We couldn't pull any video off the cam—it is a prototype, after all—but we did notice while playing around with it that even on its dinky LCD screen, the video produced by its 60 frame-per-second 720p mode is noticeably smoother and less jerky with fast motion than 24fps 1080p mode, so it's what you're gonna wanna shoot your kids' soccer games or your home sex movies with.

Besides video, the camera is otherwise identical to the G1, a Panny rep confirmed—even the screen is the same. And the electronic viewfinder still sucks. =( It should theoretically, he said, have slightly better noise reduction, but that's about it for other differences.

They're being stingy with the price and release date. All the rep would venture is by summer, and for under $1500, neither of which is very helpful—-it better be out by summer, and it better be under $1500, by god. But for now, it will be the cheapest DSLR still camera with swappable lenses to shoot 1080p HD video, which counts for something.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

The buttons. No fiddling with dials, switches or toggles, hoping you're cranking the right one—just eight buttons in a clean, dual-row setup provide direct access to everything on the camera, from playback to its VGA video mode at a glance.

The waterproof-ness works to 10 feet.

Also, it's small and bright and kind of reminds me of a Jolly Rancher, which, along with simplicity, is about all you can hope for in a camera that's under $200.

‘Life-Proof' FinePix Z33WP Captures Treasured Moments Anytime, Anywhere, and in Any Conditions

Valhalla, N.Y., February 17, 2009 – Expanding the popular Z-series digital cameras for young-at-heart, trend-savvy consumers, FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. delivers flexible functionality and form to active and hip users with the launch of the FinePix Z33WP digital camera. Perfect for budding photographers who want to experience life to the fullest, the FinePix Z33WP enables users to capture those precious moments, regardless of the conditions and share them easily with their extended network of friends and family members.

Life-Proof
The 10-Megapixel FinePix Z33WP is available in three striking colors – green, pink and black – and is ready for any adventure including underwater activity up to approximately 10 feet (3M)! A 2.7", 230,000 dots resolution LCD screen – the largest of any Z-series camera yet – and Fujinon 3x Optical Zoom lens allows for a clearer view of those not-to-be-missed moments on the beach, on the ski slopes, hiking in the mountains or boating at the lake. It's also perfect for everyday activities in the rain, the pool or any other place you might think twice about taking a conventional digital camera.

Intelligent Scene Recognition
Adding ease to outdoor navigation, the FinePix Z33WP is equipped with a new SR Auto (Automatic Scene Recognition) mode that enables the camera to intelligently recognize six types of scenes automatically. For each picture taken in this mode, the Z33WP will optimize the ideal exposure, focus, white balance and ISO for the scene to ensure the best quality picture is captured with ease. In addition, Fujifilm's Picture Stabilization is powered by high sensitivity for faster shutter and operational speeds to help reduce camera shake, keeping real life moments as true to form as possible.

Easy Sharing
The family-friendly Z33WP also features Fujifilm's handy Blog Mode which allows for easier sharing with friends and family members. The Blog mode automatically resizes a photo to a standard 640x480 pixels (VGA) or 320x240 pixels (QVGA) image size and enables 12 in-camera editing features such as Zooming, Miniature effect, Illustration and Painting, cutting the need for extra time with home editing.

In addition to these innovations, the FinePix Z33WP is loaded with the following handy features:
• Face Detection Technology: Operating in tandem with automatic red-eye removal, the FinePix Z33WP identifies up to 10 human faces in a scene, and sets the correct focus and exposure, regardless of where subjects are located within the frame.
• Automatic Red Eye Removal accents the aforementioned features by lending an extra touch to that group shot. The Z33WP automatically checks for red eye and self-corrects it in each and every person in the photo, saving time on post-editing.
• Couple and Group Timer Modes: Working in conjunction with Face Detection technology detects two faces in ‘Couple Timer Mode' and up to four faces in ‘Group Timer Mode' in a frame.
• One Touch MOVIE Button: Capture VGA quality movie clips at 30 frames per second with sound to capture all of those once-in-a-lifetime moments.
• Battery Life: The long-life rechargeable Li-ion battery (up to 200 shots) allows for extended use without worrying if the camera is going to last for the duration of the trip.

"With the success of the FinePix Z20fd for the Gen Y crowd, it is only a natural progression for Fujifilm to provide active, technology-savvy families with the unparalleled style and function that everyone demands in the 21st century," said David Troy, marketing manager, Consumer Digital Cameras, Electronic Imaging Division, FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. "Today's users not only want to experience everything life has to offer, but they also want their camera to be able to experience and capture it with them."

The FinePix Z33WP will debut in late March at a retail price of $199.95.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

[Fujifilm]

The way the Sony rep explained it, the heart of all of the HX1's whizbang camera features (HD video aside), like iSCN Advance or the anti-handheld twilight mode (which gives you a clear shot in low light, where usually a handheld camera would give you a blurry mess) all use the same basic technology, just applied differently for each feature. They all take a burst of shots really quickly—and combine them or pick out the right shot to come up with a clear one.

The sweep panorama shooting process is surprisingly easy, the way it should be. You flip to panorama mode on the dial, and when you press the shutter down, a scrollbar pops up on the bottom that starts at the left and slides to the right as you swing the camera. On the camera, all of the results look really smooth, but we'll have to see one at full res before we're truly blown away.

At first shot, we like what we see, though we can't wait to do a full head-to-head against Canon's SX1 in the ultimate superzooming, 1080p video recording camera battle to the death.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

Even though Sony's description is smattered marketing BS speak like Exmor sensor, Bionz processor and G Lens—which increase shooting speed to 10 frames per second and reduce noise by 50 percent (whatever metric that's based on)—it really does sound like a tight competitor to Canon's similar SX1, especially since Sony's is $100 cheaper, at only $500.

We're going to get some hands on time right now to check out all the features listed below.

SONY PRESENTS FIRST CYBER-SHOT CAMERA WITH SWEEP PANORAMA TECHNOLOGY

LAS VEGAS (PMA #F171), March 2, 2009 – Sony is spotlighting its first digital still camera to feature sweep panorama technology here at the Photo Marketing Association confab. The new HX1 Cyber-shot model can take 224-degree panorama shots in one easy press-and-sweep motion.

It is also the company's first Cyber-shot camera to use the exclusive 1/2.4-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensor technology. This technology allows it to achieve burst speeds of 10 frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution in continuous burst mode.

Setting it apart from most digital still cameras, which use an electronic shutter to achieve high speed, the HX1 unit has a mechanical shutter that helps reduce distortion when shooting a moving subject.

Compared to images shot with traditional sensors, the HX1 model takes clearer images with about 50 percent less noise when in handheld twilight or anti-blur modes. It is also the first Cyber-shot camera to include a Sony G lens and 1080p HD movie clip recording capabilities.

"Traditional CMOS sensor technology provides higher shutter speeds, but we are using what we call an Image3 system that combines the best image, sensor and processor," said Karim Noblecilla, senior product marketing manager in Sony Electronics' Digital Imaging Division. "By combining this sensor with a high-quality Sony G lens and powerful BIONZ™ processor, we are able to create solutions beyond fast speed that helps consumers get better pictures."

Incorporating on-chip A/D conversion, which minimizes image degradation that can occur during analogue processing, Noblecilla said the Exmor CMOS sensor delivers outstanding images, reduces noise and can continuously shoot at a high speeds.

Clear Images in Low Light or for Moving Subjects

Compared to cameras with traditional sensors, the HX1 model has two scene modes that significantly reduce noise. Using the high-speed shutter Exmor CMOS sensor technology, the new model takes six shots within a fraction of a second. Combined with the power of the BIONZ imaging processor, it immediately superimposes them into one picture. The camera calculates the position of objects in each frame and composes the sharpest picture possible, resulting in clearer, sharper images.

The two modes that use this functionality include hand-held twilight and anti-motion blur. For difficult shots in low light, the hand-held twilight mode results in clearer and sharper pictures without the need of a tripod. Anti-motion blur uses High ISO to reduce blur especially in dimly lit environments.

To reduce blur, the camera detects if a person or object is moving, or if the camera is shaking, which is likely when taking a telephoto shot. When it superimposes the images, the camera captures the moving subject or object from one of the six shots. It takes, combines and composes the rest of the image using the six shots. This reduces blur on the main subject and results in a sharp, clear background.

Sweep Panorama Technology

Capturing wide landscapes, church spires or skyscrapers is as easy as "press and sweep." Sweep panorama mode lets you reach beyond the traditional wide-angle lens and capture breathtaking shots. With wide and ultra-wide settings and horizontal or vertical directions, sweep panorama mode can take up to 224-degree horizontal or 154-degree vertical shots.

Using the fast-speed Exmor CMOS sensor, the camera continuously shoots full-resolution images at a high speed. Using the BIONZ imaging processor, it automatically stitches the pictures together to create one stunning panoramic photo. The maximum resolution is 7152 x 1080 (ultra wide horizontal).

"This panorama mode is so seamless that it removes the guess work," Noblecilla said. "The camera indicates where you are in the degree range, so you know how wide you can shoot and stitches the photos automatically. It calculates and aligns pictures for you without using additional software."

1080p HD Movie Recording

The HX1 camera captures movie clips in 1080p HD resolution, and a built-in stereo microphone records crisp, clear audio. The camera's wide 20x optical zoom is also available while shooting.

When set to HD movie, it records at 30 frames per second (1440 x 1080). The camera uses the high-quality, high-compression MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format. Other recording options include standard-definition video and VGA.

The camera also has HDMI™ connectivity via supplied HDMI accessory (cable not included) so images can be shared in high definition on an HD television set. MPEG4 AVC video recording allows you to view footage on a PC and upload it to the Web.

Sony G Lens

The Sony G lens is optimized to complement the advanced image sensors and image processing technology in Sony's cameras. The HX1 camera features a 28-560 millimeter f/2.8-5.2 wide-angle lens with 20x telephoto range. With the combination of this G lens and sweep panorama mode, the camera can cover almost any telephoto and wide angle need.

Containing a six-blade aperture, the G lens produces beautifully defocused backgrounds with a soft, natural feel. A-spherical lens elements and elements made from extra-low dispersion glass combine to minimize chromatic aberration common to high-magnification lenses.

Intelligent Auto

Like many of Sony's new cameras this year, the HX1 model has the convenient and powerful intelligent auto mode, which combines Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN), Optical SteadyShot™ and face detection technologies. It recognizes scenes and lighting conditions within one-thirtieth of a second, and then changes settings. This produces clearer images with more natural skin tones, reduced red-eye, fewer closed-eye shots and less overall blur without compromising image quality.

The iSCN feature detects up to eight scenes and automatically changes settings that will apply to the scene or lighting conditions. With the iSCN Advance feature, the camera takes a second shot when low or backlight is detected, letting users choose the best picture.

With face detection technology, the camera will adjust the flash, focus, exposure and white balance producing more natural skin tones and reducing red-eye. Face motion detection identifies a moving subject and adjusts the ISO to minimize blur. In conjunction with iSCN, the camera takes two pictures simultaneously and saves the one in which the eyes are the least closed.

A new selected-face memory function registers one face (selected by the user) as the main face and adjusts focus, exposure, flash and white balance accordingly. The camera remembers the face every time that face shows in the frame.

Additionally, the camera comes with Smile Shutter technology that helps capture a smile the moment it happens and dynamic range optimizer (DRO) technology that adjusts for contrast.

Pricing and Availability

The Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 camera will be available in April for about $500 and pre-sales will start in March. The camera and a range of accessories will be available online at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.

It's supposedly the only swivel live view display in a DSLR, for now. Sony's a300 and a350 DSLRs' screens tilted, but it doesn't go all the way out, around and back again, like on the E-620, which is really handy, since you can see it from whatever angle you want. (And it will only get more handy with DSLRs that shoot HD video, as most of them will as they're upgraded over the next year or two.)

The not-so-swell thing is the interface. It's ugly, dated and really cluttered, with fonts like they're from an "advanced" computer in an 80s Matthew Broderick movie. It needs to be higher res, with settings more cleanly dilineated.

The art mode that changes the style of your picture from in various ways, from pop art to grainy, is kind of a neat gimmick for a DSLR, but you have to dive into the menu to select your style every time you want to change it. Still, most of the appeal here is in the specs, which are pretty solid for a camera at its beginner-level pricepoint, and we won't know how those stack up till we get to review this puppy.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

What I really wanted to do was play back 720p video on the TL320's screen to better divine the OLED difference, but it's pretty early in the dev cycle (it's not coming out till way later in the year) and was so buggy all it would playback is blue static, which wasn't very helpful at all. Looking at stills on the screen side by side with an LCD display on a different Samsung camera, the OLED screen was a little brighter and sharper, but it didn't make my eyes pop out get goo all over the display in the ensuing explosion or anything.

I wish the dials were a little bigger—or there were MORE of them 'cause there's totally room—but they're still super neat. When you turn the camera on, they reset by spinning wildly, like a Ghostbusters' EKG PKE meter if Satan was in the room. In a world where vaguely similar specs on almost every point-and-shoot makes eyes glaze over, it's little touches like this that grab attention and make your camera better than your friend's. Besides, I think every gadget should have retro gauges.

The interface on it is simple to navigate as well, which is good since cameras really need better UIs to accommodate the dizzying list of features they're being bloated with every year—it's sort of like a vertical version of Sony's XMB cross media bar. As you you move up and down to highlight items, the settings it adjusts pops up to the right of the main list, and then you press right to move over to the settings. It's probably my favorite Samsung point-and-shoot so far based on look and feel, though we'll have to wait a bit to see what kind of pictures it delivers for a final verdict.

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

It's heavy, like a piece of war equipment, and feels like its built to withstand aerial bombardment—though it's supposedly a bit lighter than Canon's pro camera 1Ds Mark III. Its sensor size is not quite medium format, but it falls in that range—way bigger than the 35mm-size full-frame pro cameras like the 1Ds or Nikon's D3. It's for studio pros who need massive sensors and megapixels, and will have an accordingly ridiculous pro price.

What I love about it is the interface and design—the back is absolutely barren compared to most cameras, with just a dial, a switch and four buttons for its quadrant-style menu system. Each button dives into a single section, where you adjust the relevant settings. Another neat touch is the focusing setup. Hold the shutter down halfway as usual to auto-focus, but if you want to switch manual, you don't have to slide a toggle—just turn the focus ring.

It's coming out later this summer for a pro photographer or super-rich guy near you. But it's always nice to window shop, yeah?

PMA is an annual show where we get to see tomorrow's digital cameras—the ones that'll be populating pockets and purses for the rest of the year. We'll be here for the next couple of days.

We've actually seen most of these cameras already—it's not just Apple, but everybody's schedules revolve less and less around trade shows—since Canon, Nikon and others have already revealed their cameras for the rest of the year, instead of waiting for the Photo Marketing Association show this week. PMA's one of the two major photo trade shows, though it's more about consumer cameras, the ones that'll populate purses and pockets starting this month for "Dads and Grads" season, than the fall Photokina show, which is where we usually see more pro gear.

And as you've already seen, tomorrow's cameras actually look a like today's techwise—just with a few more megapixels (10 megapixels is now the bottom of the barrel, it seems), wider angles (28mm and 24mm lenses everywhere in point-and-shoots) and the mainstreaming of HD video in what used to be simply hold-still-dammit cameras. Maybe there will still be a few surprises, though.

Hopefully our run-up of camera features—a shoot-out between the two hottest cameras you can buy, and primers on why lenses are more important for stunning photos than megapixels—got you hungry for more, since we'll be here for the next couple of days.