Panasonic’s another product announcement apart from the 3D-toting 3D1 is Lumix GX1. It’s a Compact System Camera which Panasonic claims to take outstanding photos in a very compact form factor. Lumix GX1 boasts a 16MP Live MOS sensor, Venus Engine for image processing and Contrast AF support that has a higher accuracy as compared to Phase difference system AF when shooting with bright lens and low F value.

Additionally, the camera features high ISO sensitivity up to 12800, Light Speed AF that can focus on subjects in about 0.09 secs, touchscreen display, full HD video recording at 30fps and interchangeable lenses support, including that of Lumix G lens range as well as other Four Thirds System lenses that can be mounted via an optional mount adapter.

Lumix GX1 will be available in black and silver bodies in mid-December starting with $699.99 for the body.

Sony has expanded their point-and-shoot digital camera offerings with two decent additions – TX55 and WX30. TX55 is touted as the world’s thinnest camera that can record videos in full HD resolution (AVCHD). The camera features a 16.2 megapixel Exmor R sensor that improves picture quality in low-light scenarios. Additionally, it comes with Sony’s new ‘By Pixel Super Resolution’ technology that captures at 16 megapixel resolution extending the camera zoom to 10x without experiencing quality loss. The camera also comes with Dual Rec function that captures 12 megapixel still photos simultaneously while shooting full HD videos.

Other things present in the TX55 are 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen display, 3D Sweep Panorama support, Memory Stick Micro and microSD/SDHC card support.

The WX30 on the other hand is spec’d similarly to the TX55 but is not that aesthetically pleasing like TX55 and comes with a smaller 3-inch LCD.

Both the cameras will be launched in Europe in September whereas expect TX55 at the same time in US for $350.

Canon and Nikon may be undisputed leaders in the DSLR market but both companies lag behind competition when it comes to the burgeoning compact mirrorless digital camera market. Today in an interview with Reuters, Canon’s camera division head, Masaya Maeda hinted that the Japanese company is considering “the technical aspects” required to launch a compact mirrorless camera.

The mirrorless cameras are subjected to price competition but Maeda says their entry would not push down camera prices. In fact, some analysts believe Canon can hit a jackpot with the lesser expensive cameras due to their reputation in the market.

Maeda also confirmed to launch “an interesting product next year” but didn’t say if it will be a mirrorless model or some other model.

[Via engadget]

We’ve seen digital cameras with integrated projectors but Sony is trying to improvise by integrating the projection feature with its new Handycam. The Projector Handycam HDR-PJ50 can record 1080p full HD videos and allows users to project the content anywhere they want up to 60-inches in size.

As for remaining features, the HDR-PJ50 comes with a 220GB hard drive to store mammoth full HD videos, 12x optical zoom, 7.1 megapixel support for still images, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and SteadyShot for image and video stabilization.

The Projector Handycam is now available in India for Rs.59,990.

Got a penchant for shooting videos underwater? Well, if you do, Samsung has got a new pocket camcorder to fulfill your needs. The W200 camcorder can record videos at full 1080p resolution in water level up to 3m and can even withstand shocks from a height of up to 2m.

As for the other specs, the camcorder is equipped with a 5MP BSI CMOS sensor and features 2.3-inch QVGA display, digital image stabilizer, HDMI, microSD card slot and 1300mAh battery giving up to 2 hours of continuous playback time.

It will arrive in May for $159.

Nikon has announced a new mid-range DSLR that brings in impressive editing features with good picture and video quality. On the still photography side, the 16.2 megapixel D5100 is equipped with DX-format CMOS sensor, EXPEED 2 image processing engine that helps to take perfect pictures, an 11-point AF system that tracks fast moving objects, full manual control, Scene Recognition System and more.

Moving onto its video prowess, the D5100 is capable of capturing 1080p full HD or 720p HD videos with full time autofocus and manual exposure control at 24 or 30fps. One restriction here is that user can record a single clip for up to 20 minutes only.

To top the feature front, the camera has a 3-inch 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD screen that can rotated up to 180 degrees; ISO sensitivity going up to 6400 or expandable up to 25,600 ISO; and for the first time, D5100 comes with built-in effects to add that special touch to the image without needing to edit on a PC.

D5100 will be available in United States from mid-April for a price of $800 or $900 with AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

Press Release

Sony has expanded its NXCAM lineup with the new NEX-FS100 camcorder. Targeted at the professional crowd, NEX-FS100 takes credit for supporting interchangeable lens, which is currently possible in Sony NEX-VG10 camcorder and its NEX digital camera range.

The NEX-FS100 is equipped with Exmor Super 35 CMOS Sensor that is said to work similarly as the APS-C one. The camcorder is capable of recording full HD videos at different frame rates, has a 3.5-inch display, E-mount interchangeable lens as well as A-mount lens via an adapter, GPS, SDXC card compatibility and XLR audio connector support.

The NEX-FS100 will sell for $5850 with a E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens kit.

[Via DPReview]

Sony has announced two new DSLRs from the Alpha series for the Indian market. The A55 and A33 does away with the movable mirror tech found in conventional DSLRs but adopts Sony’s Translucent Mirror Technology that allows the camera to auto focus continuously during live view, movie recording or high-speed continuous shooting.

Both the cameras boast Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that makes clicking pictures in low-light scenarios pretty easy, BIONZ image processor, ISO sensitivity support from 100-12,800, AUTO+ mode to automatically adjust best settings for the user, 3D Sweep Panorama, Geotagging with built-in GPS and full HD video recording support. A55 can take pictures at a resolution of up to 16.2 megapixels and A33 can take pictures to up to 14.2 megapixels.

The cameras are bundled with a Sony carry case and 4GB memory card and are priced at Rs.47,990 (A55) and Rs.37,990 (A33).

Sony has stopped selling its APS-C sensor-based NEX-3 camera in Japan. The move hasn’t been backed by any reason but we can assume consumers preferring NEX-3’s superior sibling NEX-5 that comes with similar features plus full HD video recording support and more durable body.

The 14.2MP camera’s fate is unclear in other countries but it is still being sold in India where it went on sale in December.

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[Via Photography Blog]