The Polaroid Z340 Camera from Photojojo is a new twist on instant cameras.  Just like the old Polaroids that spit out self-developing photographs, the new Z340 camera can produce 3″ X 4″ instant prints on special smudge- and water-proof, tear-resistant ZINK photo paper.  What’s different about this Polaroid is that it’s a 14MP digital camera with a built-in 2.7″ LCD screen to preview your image.  The camera also has built-in edit features, so you can crop, rotate, add filters, adjust contrast/brightness/saturation, remove red eye, add borders, and more.  You can even take video with sound.  You can store photos on an SD card or even edit photos from other cameras on the Z340.  It has a rechargeable lithium battery that’s good for 75 photos or 25 prints.  The Polaroid Z340 with enough ZINK paper for 10 prints is $299.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Instant camera

What’s Old is New Again with the Polaroid Z340 Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2012 at 10:00 am.

Gone are the days of snapping a picture and having it shoot out of the camera already printed and ready for sharing.  Digital cameras are great for snapping pictures, but you’ll have to wait until you have access to a computer to email them if you want to share them.  The new SC1630 Smart Camera Powered by Android from Polaroid gives you a digital camera with instant photo-sharing capabilities.  The SC1630 has a 16MP CCD sensor and 3X optical zoom, up to 32GB of storage with a microSD card, and a 3.2″ widescreen LCD touchscreen display.  There are 18 pre-defined scene modes to help you capture the perfect picture.  The camera has automatic face and smile detection, geo-tagging, color-correction, and cropping.  Smart features arrange the photos into albums by date, location, and people.  Because the camera is Android-powered, you’ll be able to instantly share your photos whenever you have a WiFi connection.  You can also connect to the Android Market with the Polaroid SC1630, so you’ll be able to choose from the 400,000 apps there to expand the function of your camera.  Polaroid hasn’t yet announced the price or availability of the SC1630.

Filed in categories: Android related, Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Polaroid

Polaroid SC1630 Android-Powered Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 1, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

So……..what does a 46 year young man do when he’s given  a Drift Innovations HD Action Extreme Sports camera to review?  You know the ones, you’ve seen the videos of the guys in the California X Games  doing motorcycle or skateboard jumps and flips, or the guys skydiving or…….

Well the mind might be willing but these days the body ain’t….

How am I going to test this one ??????

The Drift HD is a splash-proof, dust-proof, weatherproof, and dunk-proof camera primarily aimed at the “Extreme Sports” market.  Clipped to a vehicle, a helmet, or a board, the concept is to record quirky angle type videos that give a sense of action that normal recording equipment can’t give.  It’s small size and weight means that it can be used in situations again where traditional recording equipment isn’t appropriate to use.

The unit itself comes standard with a good collection of accessories. Clockwise from top left: Goggle/Strap mount, the HD camera itself, alternative back with rubber doors for USB and microphone, RF remote, curve mount, flat mount, middle: universal clip (+ USB cable not shown) .  The review unit also came with an 8GB microSD card, which isn’t standard, and the unit will take up to a 32GB card . Class 4 or higher is recommended for video, and there’s no internal memory.

The camera’s small and aerodynamic (important when you’re going fast and aerodynamics are important), weighs in at 119.91g (4.23 oz) and measures 104.14 X 50.00 X 33.00 mm (4.10 X 1.97 X1.30 in).  One of the things that differentiates this camera from other action POV cameras is the integrated 1.5″ Colour LCD screen which can be used to change settings, frame videos and pictures, and playback your captures.  With the other offerings, the colour LCD is generally an optional extra, so there’s no way to see your video instantly onsite without  additional AV equipment like a notebook/tablet being available. The green/red/blue LED next to the play/select button indicates various states (e.g recording, charging).

On the bottom side, there’s not a lot except for the ratcheted standard tripod thumb screw receptacle (1/4″, 1/4-20) . So the camera can be placed onto a standard tripod for photos or filming, if required.

Supplied with the unit is a universal clip that screws into the tripod hole and has a ratchet mechanism so that the camera can be manipulated and held into any position. This then allows the camera to be fitted into a number of different mounting options.

The mounting assembly works the same with all the supplied holders and for various optional ones you can purchase, like a suction cup mount or a gun mount. The flat and curved mounts (supplied) use 3M double-sided tape to be permanently fixed. The goggle/strap mount shown above is the one I used the most with the supplied velcro strap during the review period.  Using the strap you can attach the camera to bike helmets, poles and all manner of things.

Above you can see the three modes supported with the camera

Video supported options:

• 1080P, 720p, SD options
• 30, 25 frames per second ( + 50 and 60 in 720, +90 in SD )
• Exposure compensation ( +/- 2.0 )
• Indoor/Outdoor mode

Camera supported options:

• Exposure compensation  ( +/- 2.0 )
• Indoor/Outdoor mode
• Action/Still mode
• Inside ( optional ) waterproof case mode

Continuous supported mode:

• Exposure compensation
• 2/3/5/10/30 sec exposure delay
• Indoor/Outdoor mode
• Action/Still mode
• Inside waterproof case mode

Here’s the back of the unit, with the “open” port backing on it. The backing screws on using the small thumbscrew in the middle. This back obviously reduces  the water resistance integrity, but makes it easier than having to unscrew the back every time you want access to the USB port. The camera itself is only rated as “water-resistant”, not waterproof,  but it’s splash-proof, dust-proof, weatherproof, and dunk-proof.  The standard back has no port opening plugs and would be more water-resistant than the one above. A 3-metre waterproof pouch and a fully-waterproof-to-30-metres hard case are available as optional accessories.

Once you’ve removed the back cover you have full access to the ports (note the rubber boot around the edges that increase the water resistance when the backing is screwed in) :

• External Microphone
•  Micro HDMI
•  Mini USB
•  Micro SD slot
•  Battery

One thing to note is that there’s no key guide mechanism on the battery pack system. Not reading the quick start manual, I initially put in the battery upside down. The quickstart manual (come on, hands up! Who here actually reads the quickstart manual? ) does indicate which way the brand sticker should go. The unit is powered by a 3.7V, 1100 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Charging is easy as it’s done via the mini-USB port.  Battery life is quoted at around 4 hours.  Drift also offers an external battery pack to extend your battery life (though the right generic external pack would most likely do the job as well since it just connects via mini-USB ).

Once your camera is  connected and turned on , your desktop/notebook will appear as a new drive which makes it easy to get your videos off the camera and start editing.

One of the other unique features on the Drift in it’s market is the rotatable lens.  This means that the camera can be mounted at all sorts of  positions, and you can then rotate the lens to get a straight and level image.  With a 170° view you get a pretty wide field of view (so you don’t miss that off to the side action).  You do get some distortion, but with a lens that wide you’d expect that.   The lens will actually rotate a full 300°. Combining the rotating lens and the ratcheted clip mount, the camera can be made to perform at all sorts of weird angles.

The unit also has a 4X digital zoom, something that normally I turn off as soon as I receive a camera

The lens  itself doesn’t have any real protection, and I’ve taken to carrying it around in a Timbuk2 On the Go Shed Pouch.  The front lens is available as a spare part and can be replaced by removing the 4 hex screws (seen in the picture above) should you have the misfortune of breaking or damaging your lens during your extreme action.

For sound, the Drift has an internal microphone mounted on the side of the unit.  To keep it’s water resistance, the microphone has a thin layer of rubber over the top of it.  This does limit the quality and pickup range of the microphone, and if audio’s important to you, then for better audio quality it would be worth investing in an external microphone.

For starting or stopping recording (in any mode), the remote control is supplied as standard.  At  52X40X13 mm (2.05X1.58x.51 in), it’s nice and big, which is handy for quickly being able to find and hit the buttons , especially if you had gloves on.  The unit comes with mounts for connecting to a strap to put on your wrist or other appropriate, easy-to-find place.  Being RF based, you don’t need line of sight to the camera, and the range is rated at 5 metres.  You can also pair a single remote to pair with a number of cameras for simultaneous and synchronised on/off .  The camera will beep when you start or stop recording, and the only issue that I found was that there appeared to be some delay between hitting the button and the start/stop operation happening. Nothing too major, but something to keep in the back of your mind.

Once I got the item all fired up the next thing I decided I should do is to check if there was any updated firmware available for the unit.  It turned out that this camera was 2 …yes 2 firmware updates behind, however looking at the dates on the firmware page, this unit had those updates only over the last 3 months.  Nice to see a company that’s producing consistent firmware that improves the performance of their products. To upgrade you just copy the firmware to the micro-SD, get into the menu system and hit the firmware option which will upgrade it for you.

I then had a quick look at the support section of their website.  There’s a heap of online video tutorials, again very useful to go through to learn the basics of using the camera.  That being said, the operation of the unit is pretty straight forward and intuitive. The site also has sample videos from all those extreme sports to give you an idea what you can do with it.

The unit is capable of taking 9 MP still shots.  This is the view from my top balcony with the camera set to outdoor mode. There is distortion of straight lines  but you’d expect that from such a  wide lens.  Colours are fairly accurate, if not a bit dull.  If you look at the picture full-size however (click on the above image), you’ll see that the photo quality isn’t overly good.  There’s a lot of pixelation and blurring.  This camera certainly isn’t going to give you the sort of quality picture that you can blow up past about a standard 6X4″ print.

One thing to note is that because the camera has a side mounted LCD, it’s a bit weird taking photos as you have to stand at 90 degrees to your subject. Using it like a range finder (looking down on the LCD) helps in camera mode a bit, but only if you’re taking pictures in portrait.

Continuous mode had interesting possibilities, but there was no construction work or festivals being set up around my area, so here’s…..extreme table tennis

The camera was set to indoor with 10 sec bursts (and I just realized was set at still mode rather than action) . The camera is actually set up on the umpire’s chair which is probably less than about 1 metre (3 feet) away from the table. You can see the crazy wide-angle on the camera that takes in the whole table (and more).  Again the pictures don’t look too bad in this size, but the originals are fairly pixelated.

But the prime market for this sort of camera isn’t photos, it’s extreme video shots.  So I thought I’d do the obligatory car driving video. Strapped it to the door handle of my car and off I went for a bit of a spin. Note I can’t get the following embedded clips to default to HD, so if you want to view the full HD experience please view on youtube in 1080p.

The picture is really clear in fact if you look really closely you can even see the cobwebs on my side mirror Colours are good, though there is a bit of white blow out as I go into the tunnel and it goes from a bright to dark to bright environment. Road and wind noise is pretty bad as the microphone was pointing down towards the road surface.  The remote control was really useful to turn it on and off and minimise final editing.

Trouble is, I’m no Stig and that all looked pretty boring on review. So what’s my next extreme sport for the weekend…….gardening  Yep, sorry folks, you ain’t going to get too many videos of me screaming my way out of a helicopter while skydiving, or doing flips on my motocross bike………….

Because the camera’s so small, light and ruggedised, the options for where you can mount it really is open to your imagination.  You can place it where you’d never consider using your “standard” digital camera.  Using the supplied goggle mount and Velcro strap, I present to you extreme spade-cam. Using the rotatable lens and the ratchet, I was able to straighten and square up the view.

The movie above is raw, straight out of the camera. Videos are recorded in .MOV format at up to 30fps in 1080p (up to 90fps in SD) . 60 fps can be used to do slow motion footage in 720p and SD as well.  For file size the 34 seconds of car video above is about 65MB in size, while my 37 secs of extreme spading is around 52MB. Video quality is good and the wide-angle really does add a different perspective to things.

As mentioned above, the internal microphone isn’t that good. The microphone was on the left of the camera/spade and at one time the wife was yelling something to me from the right, but in the video you can’t hear it. In addition, if you listen carefully, you can only  just hear my reply to her.

Seeing the POV camera , the 13 year old decided to take it out to “the jumps” and do a bit of recording.  The camera was attached to the top of his helmet using the ratchet and rotatable lens to frame the video.  The above was just trimmed in Arcsoft Showbiz and resaved in .MOV format. Sound is much better on this video clip compared to the previous ones, perhaps just because of the distance between the sound and the microphone. The remote was wrapped around his wrist , so it was easy for him to stop and start the camera without having to take his hands off the bar for too long.

One criticism is that it would appear that bright areas like the sky tend to look overexposed and “blown out” in the video at times. Like the car video above however, it’s where you go from bright to dark so to be expected. It may be possible to compensate for the “blow out” a bit with the exposure compensation setting.

I’m not entirely sure  what effect changing the settings do on the camera, and a quick search didn’t find any answers. Does the still/action, indoor/outdoor settings change the “shutter” speed or change the “ISO” speed or change the Kelvin setting? I suppose it doesn’t really matter for the market it’s aimed at, but I for one would be interested to know.

All in all, I’m not sure that I was the correct person to fully review this item. Maybe the job should have gone to a (much) younger Gadgeteer in their prime for extreme sports.  That being said, I have done a tandem skydive jump in the last 3 years and only really just got rid of my motorbike (though not a motocross and I know the wheels have ever left the ground ). Pity I didn’t have this camera a few years ago.

I really love the camera because of the unique views of the world that you can get.  I want to connect it to the end of the paddle of my wave ski, connect it to the forks of my mate’s motorbike (and I’ll take the bike for a spin ), to the headstock of a guitar, to the end of my fork while eating dinner.  I will get round to this when time permits.

It’s certainly not an everyday camera.  The still quality just isn’t good enough and the quirky wide-angle isn’t something that you’d want to record family snaps or videos in. And as mentioned above, the viewfinder on the side makes it hard to frame photos or video.  I suspect that this will be doing the rounds of some of my friends and my kid’s friends for them to use when they’re out an about doing “silly” things.

If however you’re into extreme sports and want those POV shots you often see on the TV or internet, or if you’re  a bit of a budding movie maker and like to find those weird and different angles, the Drift HD is a great performer. Its small size and light weight, coupled with the rotating lens, ruggedised construction and various mounting options, lets you get those shots you couldn’t get with your normal video camera.

If my extreme gardening videos got you going, hop on over to the Drift Innovation website for some much more sedate flying, BMX, motor sports, mountain biking, skateboarding, snow and other assorted videos.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Digital Camera

Drift HD POV Action Camera Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 25, 2011 at 12:59 pm.

Lytro has up for preorder their Light Field Camera.

“Unlike a conventional camera that captures a single plane of light, the Lytro camera captures the entire light field, which is all the light traveling in every direction in every point in space. Since you’ll capture the color, intensity, and direction of all the light, you can experience the first major light field capability – focusing after the fact. Focus and re-focus, anywhere in the picture. You can refocus your pictures at anytime, after the fact. And focusing after the fact, means no auto-focus motor. No auto-focus motor means no shutter delay. ”

The camera comes with an 8 X optical zoom at a constant f/2 aperture to allow for maximum light across the focal range and focusing is done in post processing via software. At this point the software is only Mac compatible however a Windows version is in development.

The only controls on the camera itself are a “shutter” release and a swipe bar for the optical zoom.  The unit has a touchscreen that allows you to view and focus and refocus your pictures on the internal screen like you would on your workstation.

Is this truly the “idiot-proof” camera that will eliminate blurry photos for ever?

Available for preorder in  3 colours in 8 and 16GB variants from $399 and $499 the cameras will ship in early 2012.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera

Lytro Light Field Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2011 at 9:30 am.

Sakar and Disney have introduced the Sakar Disney iPad Camera.  This 7MP camera is designed with children in mind, but adults might like it, too.  This simple camera takes still photos only; it has a 1.5″ preview screen and a 4X digital zoom.  There’s no internal memory, but it comes with a 32GB microSD card.  With the built-in rechargeable battery, you’ll be able to roam around taking pictures.  There’s also a built-in 30-pin Apple connector, so you can connect the camera to your iPad and transfer over your pictures. You can also use it while connected to the iPad – so it’s a way to add a camera to the original iPad and perhaps replace the iPad 2′s cameras with something better.  There’s even a free photo-editing app in the iTune’s store.  The Disney iPad Camera is available with a Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princess, Tinkerbell, or Phineas and Ferb design at  B&H Photo and Video for $59.95

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Kid Gadgets, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, iPad accessory

Sakar Disney iPad Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2011 at 8:21 am.

While the GoPro Hero  has been the defacto go to wearable camera for extreme sport photographers, Swann has just released an alternative in their Freestyle HD.

Specifications  include:

• Detachable LCD viewer
• 3 X Digital Zoom
• Waterproof up to 65′
• 1080 HD Video at 30 fps
• 8 MP still in single-shot or rapid fire
• Wireless remote

It comes with standard with multiple mounting options and accessories.

Slightly cheaper than the GoPro Hero2 @ $279.99 RRP, check out the Swann website for retailers

Press release below the break.

Swann Releases Swann Freestyle HD – 1080p High Definition Wearable Video Camera with LCD Viewer

7 Nov 2011

Santa Fe Springs, Calif. – Swann, a global leader in security monitoring solutions, proudly debuts its first high definition wearable video camera with a detachable LCD viewer: Swann Freestyle HD. Whether capturing 1080p video with up to 3x digital zoom or snapping JPEG images with its 8MP camera, Swann Freestyle HD lets you capture stunning hands-free video and share it with the world.

Housed in a sturdy case that is waterproof up to 65′, Swann Freestyle HD can be worn on the body or mounted to bikes, cars, helmets, skateboards and more via a range of included interchangeable mounts and brackets. In addition, the Swann Freestyle HD can be used as a standard point & shoot camera, featuring both single shot and rapid fire picture taking. Video is shot in stunning professional-grade 1080p HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), boasting 30 fps, 3x digital zoom and stereo audio. Swann has also included a wireless remote control that lets users operate the camera while it’s mounted and out of arms reach.

Real-time viewing is made possible by the detachable 1.5″ LCD screen, so you immediately see if you’ve captured the shot. Swann Freestyle HD also allows you to watch your footage afterwards on an HDTV via an HDMI cable or you can transfer your recording to the computer via a MicroSD card or the included USB cable for editing or sharing on social media networks. The Lithium-ion battery is also rechargeable via USB, giving users up to 2.5 hours of recording time per charge.

“The immense popularity of action sports and online video sharing helped make our earlier model, the Swann SportsCam™, a huge success, but now we’ve taken our customer’s feedback and greatly improved upon that design,” remarked Guy Pithie, Swann VP of Sales. “Swann Freestyle HD boasts an impressive feature set, including a LCD viewing screen, full 1080p recording and a dual function camera and video recorder. These features paired with the rugged dependability our customers have come to expect from Swann products make the Swann Freestyle HD what we believe to be one of the best sports action video cameras on the market.”

Accessories Included

-Freestyle HD Wearable Video Camera
-LCD Screen
-Waterproof Case
-Remote Control
-Carry Pouch
-Helmet Mounting Bracket
-Universal L Shaped Mounting Bracket
-Universal Low Profile Mounting Bracket
-Connector Tray Bracket Accessory
-2 Flat Adhesive Mounting Pad
-Curved Adhesive Mounting Pad
-AV Out Cable
-USB Cable
-Power Adapter
-Instructions Manual & CD

Swann’s Freestyle HD has a MSRP of $279.99 and is available for purchase at BestBuy.com, Tiger Direct, Fry’s, London Drugs or visit Swann.com for a full list of retailers.

For more information on Swann’s Freestyle HD, please contact PR Representative Brian Metcalf at (305) 576-1171 x11 or at brianmetcalf@maxborgesagency.com or go to www.swann.com.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera, Outdoor Gear

Swann Freestyle Wearable HD Video Camera – Heads Up originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2011 at 9:00 am.

GoPro has just announced its new HD Hero2 camera.  Twice as powerful as the original Hero, it now supports 1080p HD video and 11 megapixel photos.  It has a newly designed 170º wide angle lens and is capable of snapping 10 photos per second.   The GoPros are the camera of choice for adventurers and extreme sports fanatics due to their ruggedness and unique mounting systems.  Also announced was their Wi-Fi Remote and Wi-Fi BacPac  giving the ability to remotely control up to 50 GoPro cameras and allowing live streaming of videos and photos to the web.

Available for $299.99  in 3 starter packs( Outdoor, Motorsports, Surf ) from GoPro’s online store and selected retailers.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera

GoPro HD Hero 2 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2011 at 9:00 am.

If you’re like me you love 360° panoramic pictures, but trying to get a good one is hampered by having to be very precise with overlapping, lighting and other factors. Using 36 fixed focus 2 megapixel Camera modules and an accelerometer used to measure launch acceleration, the Panoramic Ball captures a full spherical  panoramic view at the highest point of flight when it’s hardly moving. The ball is padded with foam ( just in case you don’t catch it ) and once the photo is taken can easily be downloaded via USB into a special spherical panoramic viewer.

Starting as a Diploma Thesis, this concept will be shown at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011 as the Emerging Technologies demonstration.

Let’s hope someone picks this up and starts funding a commercial version.

Check out the video  below and for more info see Jonas Pfeil’s Website ( You really do have to see it to fully understand and appreciate )

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera – A Whole Ball of Fun originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 15, 2011 at 3:43 pm.

The new Samsung NX200 camera combines a powerful 20.3MP CMOS image sensor with a small package.  The NX200 body is only 4.6″ wide X 2.5″ tall X 1.44″ deep.  It comes with the 18-55mm lens and the flash unit shown in the picture.  The Samsung NX lens uses single AF, continuous AF, and manual focus.  The flash mounts to the hotshoe and draws power from the camera, so you don’t have to keep a supply of batteries on hand, and it uses a variety of modes including red eye reduction and fill-in.  The 3.0” VGA AMOLED display gives you a great view of the action, even in sunlight.  The camera captures still images in several file formats (RAW (SRW), JPEG (EXIF 2.21), DCF, DPOF 1.1, PictBridge 1.0) with a high capture speed of 7fps.  You can also take full HD video with this camera.  The Samsung NX200 sells for $899.99.  Go to the above link to learn more about the camera or to purchase it directly from Samsung.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera

Samsung NX200 20.3MP Compact Camera System originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 7, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Kodak has released a waterproof version of their Playfull. Capable of 720p HD, waterproof to 10 feet for up to 2 hours and small enough to fit into a pocket or purse its capable of recording up to 10 hours of HD video with expandable SD/SDHC card slot.

Standard is 2.0 inch LCD screen, digital  image stabilization, macro mode, HDMI port and pop out USB arm. The unit is IPX6/8 and MIL-Std-810F compliant and weights in around 85 grams.

Perfect for the beach, pool, rain  or mud !

Available for pre-order now from the Kodak Store for $99.95 for white or $119.95 for black.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera

Get playful, wet and dirty with the new Kodak Waterproof Playfull originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 2, 2011 at 9:50 am.

In my last travel article I bemoaned the fact that the single convergence device was still not a reality. Is this one step closer? Panasonic along with Japanese provider Softbank has just announced the 101P in Japan ( due post November ).

Using the 13.2 CMOS Lumix sensor found in their point and shoot cameras, and packing a 4-inch QHD LCD screen with 960X540 resolution, 1Ghz TI OMAP4430 dual-core running Android 2.3 ( Gingerbread ), Panasonic may have hit it on the head.  On top of that it’s waterproof ( IPX5/7 ).

At 9.8 X 123 X 64mm and weighing in at 128 grams it looks pretty pocketable too.

There’s no mention of price yet and worse there’s no mention of battery life ( it sports a 1460 mAh battery ).   Hopefully this gets released in other markets than just Japan.

More info, pictures and videos  ( in Japanese) from Gigazine.

Filed in categories: Android related, Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera, Travel gear

Panasonic Lumix Phone 101P – Phone+Camera=Convergence? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 30, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Samsung‘s new MultiView MV800 camera has a 3-inch LCD flip-out touchscreen display that can be angled from 0 – 180 degrees.  You’ll be able to take pictures from eye level or waist height by angling the view screen, or flip it completely up so you can see to take perfectly- framed self-portraits.  The MV800 has a 16.1MP resolution and 5X optical zoom for sharp, clear pictures.  Dual Image Stabilization keeps everything in focus.  You can even take HD video with this camera, then connect it to the TV via HDMI cable to watch playback on a bigger screen.  It has software that lets you edit your photos to add filters effects or give a funhouse effect to faces.  The “3D Photo” software can transform any still or panoramic photo into 3D when you connect the camera to a 3D HDTV.  The MV800 is $279.99; check the product page to order online or find other online and brick-and-mortar retailers near you.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera

Take Pictures from Any Angle with the Samsung MV800 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2011 at 8:14 am.

Here’s another camera for your espionage games or nanny surveillance.  This HC-GUM Covert Gum Stick Camera/DVR from Smarthome looks like an old-style pack of Wrigley’s Doublemint gum – if you don’t look too closely.  (They have the look right, but for some reason it’s marked with “Dangerous Material” and described as a lighter.)  It takes still shots with a resolution up to 1280 x 960 and video up to a 720 x 480 resolution on a miniSD card (up to 16GB, not included).  The camera has an internal 300mAh battery that recharges via USB and gives you up to 90 minutes of recording time.  It can even be set to record only when it senses motion to save battery.  The HC-GUM Covert Gum Stick Camera/DVR is currently marked down to $83.13.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Spy camera

Spy Camera in a Chewing Gum Pack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Hammacher Schlemmer calls this the World’s Smallest Camera, and they’re probably right.  This camera is so small, it looks like you might have gotten it from a gum ball machine, but it is a working auto-focus 2MP camera.  It captures still photos as JPEGs at 1600 x 1200 resolution and captures AVI video at 30 fps at 640 x 480 resolution.  It comes with a 2GB microSD card, and it supports up to a 32GB card.  It comes with a USB 2.0 cable that lets you view your images and videos directly on a Windows 7, Vista, or XP computer.  The rechargeable battery gives you 30 minutes of operation after a 1-hour charge.  It’s 1.13″ X 1″ X 1.06″ and weighs 0.5 ounce. It comes with a wrist lanyard, but I think it would work better as a ring.  It’s $99.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Spy camera

World’s Smallest Camera for Your Spy v Spy Games originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

When I first saw this cute little Necono Digital Camera, I thought it would make a good gift for a kid. The camera looks like a cat from a book by Lisa Larson, and it’s a very simplified camera without even a viewfinder. It can take still photos and video, but you won’t know what you captured until later. In the summer, Superheadz intends to release a video monitor base for the camera, which will make it more functional. Then I saw the price, and I realized that this is too expensive for kids. (By the time you factor in the cost of the monitor base and quality of the photos it will take with the tiny lens in one of the cat’s eyes, it’s probably too expensive for everyone.) If you’re still interested, Amazon.com has the camera for $179.95. They have a matching camera bag for about $16. Maybe the cute, unstructured camera bag would make a good gift for a kid.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Novelty camera

Necono Digital Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

If your ongoing quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot has always been thwarted by his irritating use of the cover of night, ThinkGeek‘s new camera might be for you.  The Midnight Shot NV-1 touts just 5 megapixels–but when was the last time your fancy Nikon or Canon was able to take a clear picture in the absolute dark?  Midnight Shot uses infrared  to capture its night time shots, resulting in clear shots of its subjects even with no visible light.  The camera can be switched back and forth from night vision to regular shooting modes, but IR can be turned on in the daytime as well, for those IR photography enthusiasts.  In addition to stills, the NV-1 is also able to switch over to capture video at 640 x 480 (8x digital zoom).  Careful though while using IR during the daytime–IR light travels through certain thin materials, which will render them see-through (yikes!!).

Midnight Shot NV-1 is currently on sale at ThinkGeek for $129.99

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Geek Toys, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, infrared, night vision, thinkgeek

Midnight/Shot Night Vision Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

When I was very young, I remember playing with an old camera that belonged to my mother. I didn’t know it then, but it was an Imperial Reflex 620 Duo lens camera – just like the one purportedly used by Marina to take those famous pictures of Lee Harvey Oswald. That Imperial camera was a very cheap, all-plastic camera that was similar to the professional-quality Rolleiflex cameras. Anyway, my mother’s camera is long since gone, but I remember how much I used to love looking through that top viewfinder at the upside-down world it displayed. When I first saw the Minox digital reproduction of a Rolleiflex 2.8F twin-lens-reflex camera, I got very nostalgic and decided I’d buy the Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 reproduction as a nod to my mother and her old camera.

In the Box
• MiniDigi AF 5.0 camera
• Leather strap
• CR2 Lithium battery
• 256MB miniSD card with adapter
• Manual

Technical Specifications (from the box)
• Camera type: 5MP AF digital camera
• Image sensor: 3MP AF module
• Image resolution: 2304X2304 pixels (high resolution/interpolated), 1536X1536 pixels (normal resolution), 768X768 (low resolution)
• Monitor: TFT 1.1” color
• Storage medium: miniSD card (removable)
• Image format: JPEG
• Lens: 4.9mm F2.8
• Depth of field: 10cm to infinity
• Shutter speeds: 1/15 to 1/2500 (electronic control)
• Exposure control: Automatic
• White balance: Automatic
• Power source: CR2 Lithium X 1
• Dimensions: 49 X 73 X 45 m (WxHxD) (1.9 X 2.9 X 1.8 inches)
• Weight (with battery): 100 g (3.5 ounces)

Smaller than a bottle of nail polish

Many photos in this review can be clicked for an enlargement.  Note:  none of the photos taken by the MiniDigi camera have been edited.

Minox makes binoculars, riflescopes, and other hunting optics. They also make a line of digital, miniature reproductions of classic film cameras. When I read the specifications, I knew this would be a small camera. Nevertheless, I was still a little shocked when I opened the box and saw Barbie’s Dream camera. This thing is tiny.  It’s also mostly plastic, though it’s sturdy enough that it passed my attempt at Julie’s patented creak test without a single creak.

Crank handle for "advancing the film"

Back showing working buttons for viewing photos and changing mode settings

Non-working controls

This camera is available in all black or red/black. You’ll notice I got the red one. The red areas have a pebbly texture that’s intended to mimic the leather on the original camera. There are a lot of buttons and controls on this camera, but some of them are non-functional reproductions of the original controls. I was disappointed to see that the level bubble was a fake. You wore the original camera hanging at about waist level and looked through the top viewfinder, and the bubble was necessary to help you get “straight” pictures. This little reproduction is also viewed from the top, and the bubble could be useful.

1.1" TFT color screen "viewfinder"

I am not a camera expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that the original twin lens cameras used the top lens as the viewfinder lens and the bottom lens had the shutter. (In those days, what you saw wasn’t always exactly what you got – at least when taking pictures.) The front of the MiniDigi camera has the twin lenses, but only the bottom one is functional. The top lens isn’t necessary because this camera has a tiny 1.1” square TFT color screen instead of a viewfinder. Just like the original, the TFT “viewfinder” is shielded from ambient light by the pop-up cover and side-shields.

Crank arm in use

The original Rolleiflex used 120 film, and it had a metal arm on the side that you turned to advance the film. To capture the flavor of the original, the MiniDigi requires you to wind the crank handle to unlock the shutter before you can take another picture.

This reproduction camera uses a 3.0MP CMOS sensor instead of 120 film. The 5.0 in the name is misleading; you only get 5.0MP through data interpolation. Something to note here is that 120 film had square negatives, so the MiniDigi produces square pictures. High resolution (5.0MP interpolated) pictures are 2304 x 2304; normal pictures are 1536 x 1536, and low res pictures are 768 x 768.

Low resolution setting

Normal resolution

High resolution (interpolated)

I tried taking pictures indoors and outdoors with this camera, and I was disappointed in both. I took pictures indoors using both normal lighting and the studio lights I use for taking pictures for my reviews. I took pictures outdoors on a bright, sunny, cloudless day at about 4:00 pm.  None of these pictures have been edited, and none of them seem to be in focus.  The camera takes a long time to focus and capture the shot, and it’s hard to hold the camera still.  Even the photos that seem to be focused are fuzzy.

Low res, Normal lighting

Normal res, normal lighting

High res, normal lighting

Low res, studio lighting

Normal res, studio lighting

Highres, studio lighting

The camera didn’t fare any better indoors.  Even with studio lighting, the pictures are dark and grainy.

The MiniDigi camera has a playback mode so you can view your pictures.  In addition to changing the resolution, you can also set the frequency setting to 50 or 60Hz for shooting under fluorescent lighting.  There is no output from the camera, so you must remove the miniSD card from the camera to get pictures into your computer.  The miniSD card comes with an adapter to convert the miniSD to a full-sized SD card.

If you are looking for a daily use camera, I don’t recommend the Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 camera.  You can find cameras to take standard-size photos at much higher resolution and clarity for half the price of this novelty camera.  If you are a photographer who collects cameras, this might be an acceptable substitute for the very expensive original Rolleiflex.  I’m glad I have this as a memento of my mother, but I’ll never use this as a camera.  I should have saved the $270 and looked for an actual Imperial Reflex on eBay.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Digital Camera, Reproduction classic camera

Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 Digital Classic Camera from Minox Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 18, 2011 at 11:05 am.

This little digital camera is a replica of the famous Rolleiflex 2.8F twin lens reflex camera.  The Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 camera is only about 2.9 x 1.8 x 1.8″ and weighs 3.5 ounces.  It is available in red/black or all black.  The camera is 5MP and it has a 1.1″ view screen and produces a square photo – just like its inspiration.  It is available at B&H Photo for $266.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Rolleiflex MiniDigi camera

Rolleiflex Mini Digi AF Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 23, 2011 at 2:30 pm.

Panasonic has finally announced US pricing for the (much anticipated) GF2, their second generation micro four thirds camera with interchangeable lenses. The current MSRP is $499.95 for body alone; $599.95 for body plus 14 – 42mm GF2K lens; and $699.95 for body plus 14mm prime GF2C lens.

The new micro 4/3 cameras produce dSLR quality photos/experience/capabilities with the ability to exchange lenses in a lightweight, compact, form-factor. Panasonic is one of many camera manufactures who are producing this class of digital cameras.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, Spotlight Gadgets

Panasonic announces GF2 pricing originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 3, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

I have used video cameras for as long as I can remember.  My first video camera was one of those really hefty kind that you sat on your shoulder and it used regular VCR tapes.  Yeah, and I admitted it.  Since then I have used every imaginable type of video camera, from ultra expensive to cheap, small to large, and everything in between including the Flip cameras.  I have loved the form factor and ease of use of the Flips, but not enough to make me fall in love with them.  But I think I finally found something that I can give my heart to… the Kodak Playsport!

The Kodak Playsport is about the same size as an iPod classic and just a little bit thicker.  It feels solid in your hand and it weighs just slightly less than said iPod Classic.  It has a standard threaded hole on the bottom that can be used to attach the camera to a tripod mount.  And it has a hole next to that for attaching a lanyard, which is included in the box.  The speaker is on the bottom as well, next to the tripod hole.  The colored back and about half of the edges are covered in the soft-touch rubber that you see on alot of cellphones today, which I happen to like.   That helps in holding it when it is wet, like when you take it around water.  The other surfaces are shiny plastic.  The LCD screen is 2 inches in size which is not too bad for previewing the videos you make.  They even included an HDMI cable in the box… who does that anymore??  Kudos to Kodak!  To round out the box contents we have a quick start guide, and USB charger cable, and an audio cable.

The doors that open on the sides to get access to the battery, ports, etc, are very tight to open, but that is a good thing because they need to be tight to keep water out of them.  The door on the left side give you access to the Li-Ion rechargeable battery and the storage card, which can handle up to a 32 GB card.  The camera comes with 128 MB internal storage which would be fine for a few pictures, but for taking video that internal storage is pretty much useless so you’ll need to purchase a storage card.  The door on the right side gives you access to mini USB 2.0 connection (which is also used to charge it), the HDMI port, and an A/V out port.  The power button is right above the door on the right side.  On the back is the 5 MP camera lens and the led indicator which blinks red when you are recording.  The 4 buttons on the front are (from top to bottom) for recording mode, viewing mode, the delete button, and settings.  The round directional pad is explained in more detail below, and the white button in the middle of the d-pad is for pressing enter, like to start and stop video, confirm deletes, etc.  By the way, this camera is very speedy between starts and stops when you press that white button!

As you can see from the picture below, when you are in video-taking mode you can press left or right on the round black directional pad in the middle, which will bring up the choices you have for video quality and still pictures.  Video can be WVGA (640×480 – 30fps), 720p (30 fps), 720p 60fps, and 1080p (30 fps).  There is an LCD Glare shield option that reduces sun glare on the screen when outdoors, and it does provide a little bit of help in that regard.  It also has an Electronic Image Stabilization feature that helps reduce the ‘shaky-ness’ that I think plagues cameras of this type, such as the Flip cameras.  I was more pleased with the video I got with this camera than when I played with a Flip HD camera last year… much less shaky video. The video format is H.264 MOV format.  When recording video, if you press up and down on the d-pad you can zoom in and out slightly (4X digital zoom), but I found this useless.  You won’t be zooming with this camera.

There is also a feature called ‘smart face tracking technology’ that is supposed to focus on faces in the frame.  I know alot of cameras these days have something like this, but I honestly couldn’t tell a difference between the videos I did with this feature turned on and off.  I took videos using all the settings listed above and I found myself going back to the 720p 60fps option.  This option was designed to capture video of things that are moving fast on the screen, like your kid’s soccer game or something.  The video using all the other settings were good of course, but with 60 fps video versus 30 fps, I really could see a difference.  And since almost all my videos are uploaded to Youtube or on my website, I end up sizing down the videos anyway so I don’t really need 1080p quality.  Which is funny because the 1080p ability was the deciding factor for me getting this camera in the first place!  If you have a 32 GB card in the camera, you’ll get about 10 hours of 720p (30fps) video.  Less if you use the 720p 60 fps option.

Still pictures with this camera are what you would expect with a quality of 5 MB.  You won’t be taking anybody’s official wedding photos with this thing, but for a weekend jaunt or a party at the house, it works great.  It is also important to note that this camera’s main purpose isn’t still pictures, so you don’t have very many picture settings at all compared to the multitude of consumer cameras out there today.  You don’t have ISO settings, or the ability to change from Aperture Priority to Shutter priority, and so forth.  So photo enthusiasts won’t be impressed with this still camera.  Where this camera shines however is in taking video.

With the included HDMI cable I was able to connect the camera directly to my HD tv and we watched the videos on the big screen.  Very, very nice!  I didn’t have to spend time using my pc to convert the videos over to a DVD to watch them in the living room… plug it up and away we go!  I was also pleasantly surprised with the sound quality with the monaural (not stereo) microphone.  It picked up sound extremely well especially in outdoor situations, even under the water.  Under the water you say??  Oh yes!  (As long as it isn’t deeper than 10 ft, of course.)

This camera is promoted as a rugged, outdoor, on-the-go, can-handle-anything, type of camera.  And I have say I agree with them.  With the soft-touch rubber shell and water-tight seals on the doors, I wasn’t afraid to do anything with this camera.  We had a blast in the pool with this thing and as you can see from the video above, the video under the water is remarkable.  I won’t be leaving my 9MB still camera at home for the next vacation, but all the video will be shot with this camera for sure.  Can you say white water rafting?

The camera comes with built-in software (pc only) to allow you to edit your videos, and when you plug it up to your computer with the included USB cable, it prompts you to install the Acrsoft software.   From that point forward, once you connect the camera it will open up the software to allow you to see all the videos on the camera and import the ones you want to whatever destination on the harddrive you want.   I have done lots of video editing over the years with a multitude of video editing software.  So the software they provide isn’t very impressive to me and doesn’t give me the editing capabilities that I would expect in a consumer-level video editor… for example, you only have 6 transitions to choose from, and the video timeline isn’t that intuitive.   But for people who don’t want to purchase something else to edit videos, it is a fairly easy-to-use package that does allow you to upload directly to Youtube, Facebook, Vimeo, and Twitter, which is where most of the videos will probably end up anyway.  That’s a nice touch to include Vimeo… not many video programs are doing that yet, so again, kudos to Kodak!  I uploaded a video to Youtube and Facebook and it worked fine.  But let’s be honest… it didn’t cost me extra, so who am I to complain??

The bottom line is that this camera is my new favorite gadget.  I am walking around looking for things to video, and my family keeps rolling their eyes when they see me coming!  The zoom is useless though, and the still camera is not the best you’ll see.  But the ruggedness and ease-of use is wonderful, and the video is takes is fantastic.  I highly recommend this camera, and for the price you pay… well, that’s just icing on the cake.  Anybody wanna go swimming?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Digital Cameras and Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Digital Camera, Outdoor Gear, Video

Kodak Playsport Video Camera Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2010 at 8:26 pm.

Another CES unveiling:  Kodak will have a new entry to their consumer-grade digital camera line–Slice, available in April 2010.  The 14MP camera will feature a widescreen 3.5″ color touch screen and built-in facial recognition software in order to instantly tag and search for your friends from your customized database.  Up to 20 unique faces can be stored and the software will be able to recognize up to five faces in the same picture.

If still images aren’t your thing, it also captures 720p HD video and provides editing capabilities to pull out individual frames for sendable still shots.  The camera itself doubles as a photo album, displaying copies (original photos are stored on your MicroSD/HC card–not included) of your pictures in its onboard 2GB memory for cropping, tagging, searching, etc all at the flick of a finger across the touch screen.

All that it’s really lacking is WiFi, which would have made this the perfect camera for what it seems intended for–social networking integration.   However once connected to a computer, there is a one touch upload feature to YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, etc which will maintain all of your custom tags.

Kodak Slice will be available in three colors (black, red, and silver) for $349.95 through Best Buy and online retailers.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News

Tagged: Digital Camera, kodak, touch screen

Kodak Slice, Digital Camera with Facial Recognition and Touch screen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 12, 2010 at 6:09 pm.

Do you ever wonder what your cat or dog does while you’re at work?  Clip the Pet’s Eye View camera to his collar and get an idea of what he’s been up to while you’re gone.  The camera can take photos at 1, 5, and 15 minute intervals.  It can record up to forty 640 X 480 photos.  Transfer the pictures to your PC or Mac – and charge the camera – using the included USB cable.  Now you can confront Fido with photographic evidence when he tries to convince you it was the mailman who chewed up the sofa cushions!  The Pet’s Eye View camera is $49.95 from Solutions.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Pet Gadgets

Tagged: Digital Camera, Pets

Pet’s Eye View Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 7, 2010 at 10:54 am.

It’s strange, but in all the years that I’ve been using digital cameras, I find that I rarely print out my photos. I usually just copy them into a folder on my computer and look at them from time to time, or post some of them to my flickr account. Although I have a perfectly nice full-sized color printer (Canon Pixma iP6000D), I have always found it a pain to use for small 4×6 sized snapshot prints. That’s why I was curious when I was approached by Epson to review their PictureMate Dash PM 260 Personal Photo Lab photo printer. I wasn’t sure if this printer would make me excited to print photos, or if I would continue to snap and file as before.

Hardware Specifications

Printing Technology: Advanced MicroPiezo®, optimized for photo printing
Nozzle Configuration: 90 nozzles x 4
Ink Type: 4-color dye
Maximum Resolution (dots per inch): 5760 x 1440 dpi
Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 3 picoliters
Print Speed: 4″ x 6″ photo in as fast as 37 seconds
Built-in Memory Card Slots: CompactFlash® (Type I and II), Secure Digital (SD™), SDHC™, MMC, Memory Stick®, Microdrive® (Type M/H) and xD-Picture Card™
Layouts and Templates: True BorderFree®, classic borders, wallet size, mini-wallets, jumbo-wallets, U.S. passport size, 2″ x 2″ – 3″ x 3″ square photos, portrait packages (four per page and ten per page) and proof sheet
Interface and Connectivity: USB connection between printer and PC, USB connection for external CD-R/RW drives, zip drives, flash memory (thumb drives), Bluetooth (with optional Bluetooth Photo Print Adapter for Epson), PictBridgeâ„¢ and USB Direct Print-enabled digital cameras
Supported Digital Camera Technologies: P.I.F., Exif Print , reads Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) from digital camera memory cards
Paper Capacity: 20 sheets of PictureMate photo paper
Dimensions: 9.1″ x 6.5″ x 8.7″
Weight: 5.3 lb

Package Contents

PictureMate Dash Printer
Paper and ink cartridge for about 20 4″ x 6″ photos
Power supply
Quick Start guide
Printer Manual
CD-ROM containing printer drivers and ArcSoft® PhotoImpression® 5 (PC and Macintosh Compatible)

The PictureMate is a lunch boxed sized printer with a handle that you can use to tote it around. This little printer does not require a computer in order to print your photos. It reads your images from its built in card readers, or an attached USB storage device. If you want to connect it to a computer, you have that option too. Drivers are available for Windows and Mac OS X.

The front of the PictureMate closes up for transport. To open the paper tray, you just press the spring loaded latch in the upper right corner.

When the paper tray is opened, you’ll also see the built in card readers. The top reader slot can accommodate MemorySticks and SD cards. The bottom slot is for Compact Flash Type I and II cards. Other card formats such as MicroSD and miniSD can be used if you have the appropriate adapter.

If we look at the back of the printer, we will find a USB port for external storage devices, a USB port to use to connect to your computer, a power connector, a battery compartment and an ink cartridge compartment.

In addition to loading images from flash cards and USB devices, you can also send images wirelessly from a Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA or computer. To do this, you have to purchase the optional Bluetooth adapter available for $39.90.

The battery compartment is for the optional Lithium ion rechargeable battery which is available for $49.99. Using the battery would make this printer truly portable and a fun device to take with you to family events and functions.

One of the first things that you must do before using the PictureMate is to load the included ink cartridge. Unlike full-sized printers that might have several color ink tanks, this printer has one cartridge that contains four colors. To load it, you just open the compartment door…

Slide the cartridge into the slot, move the locking lever to the lock position and close the compartment door. Totally quick and easy, just the way I like things to be.

The user controls, paper slot and the 3.6” LCD color display are located under the top lid.

The display pivots up for easy viewing. Located behind it is the paper slot which can hold up to 20 sheets of photo paper.

The PictureMate comes with an ink cartridge and 20 sheets of glossy 4×6 inch photo paper. Additional print packs are available with either glossy or matte type paper. The glossy print pack comes with 150 sheets and an ink cartridge for $37.99. The matte print pack comes with 100 sheets and ink cartridge for $32.29. I’m a little confused why the matte print pack only has 100 sheets, but oh well. Regardless, it’s really convenient to buy the print packs as they contain everything you need to print your pictures.

When you power on the printer, it will check to see if you have a memory card in one of the card readers. I noticed that the PictureMate would not recognize my USB flash drive unless I plugged it in while the printer was powered on. It will load the images and display the first image on the LCD display. The user interface is very easy to use. Pressing the 4-way navigation button allows you to cycle through your images.

Pressing the Display button will allow you to change the way you view your images. The default is to view them one at a time, but you can also view them by thumbnail or in filmstrip mode.

When you see an image that you want to print, you can click the OK button to specify how many prints you would like to make of that image, or you can just press the Print button to preview the print.

The Menu button gives you quite a few options and tools to change and / or modify your prints.

Some of the things you can do include choosing the print style. Prints can be borderless, with borders, wallet (prints two images per 4×6 sheet), mini-wallet (4 images per sheet), passport photo, and quite a few other layouts.

Photo modifications include cropping, red eye removal, sharpening, color effects and even decoration. Decorations are little images that you can stamp over your photo. Things like speech bubbles and caption boxes. When you’re satisfied with your photo, press the Print button.

Less than 40 seconds later your color print is ready for viewing (B&W and Sepia pictures take a little longer. There’s a 10-15 second pause before the image starts to print). Photos from PictureMate are smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant. According to Epson:

“Using the PictureMate cartridge and PictureMate paper, prints can last over 200 years in archival sleeves in album storage and up to 96 years in a glass frame in indoor display conditions. See Wilhelm-research.com for test conditions. Actual print stability will vary according to image and storage or display conditions. Epson does not guarantee the longevity of prints.”

I’ll have to say that the prints from the PictureMate PM 260 look every bit as good as prints I’ve received from other photo print places. They are sharp, and have vibrant colors. I tested both the glossy and matte paper and was impressed with prints on both. The paper is thick and the print quality is top notch. I didn’t notice any banding or other defects in the prints.

Here’s an example of a cropped image. If you look at the top picture, you’ll notice the top of a water bottle in the lower right corner. Using the zoom buttons, it allows you to cut that part of the image out. The only problem is that it also cuts the top of my subject’s head off. I would rather see a true cropping tool that would let me do a rubber-band selection.

Here’s an example of two decorations that you can add to your pictures. In this one, I added a speech bubble and a caption box. I then added the text with a sharpie marker. It’s a cute feature that kids will enjoy )

And here’s an example of the same image printed in color, B&W and sepia. I snapped this shot while on vacation this summer. It’s an old gnarly tree at the top of a vortex in Sedona, Arizona.

This is one of those reviews that I write and have problems trying to find something to complain about. I guess if I had to find something to nitpick, I would say that I wished this printer came with a case so that it were truly portable. As is, it might be awkward to carry the printer, the AC adapter and extra ink and paper, without some type of case. (* see update below)

I’ve been very impressed by this portable photo lab. The Epson PictureMate PM 260 is dirt simple to use, prints excellent photos, prints them fast and costs less than $100. The ability to print photos without the need for a computer makes this a great gift for a friend or relative that either doesn’t have a computer, or isn’t very tech savvy. It’s even great for those of us that are tech savvy! I know that whenever I need to print a 4×6 inch shot, I’m going to do it with the PictureMate.

11/21/07 Update

The folks at Epson sent me their optional carrying bag that is available for this portable printer.

This bag is made specifically for any of the 200 series PicturMate Dash printers and is available directly from Epson for $34.99. It is made of nylon and comes with a shoulder strap.

What I like best about this case is that it is play-through. It also has zippered side pouches that are large enough for the AC adapter and a printer pack (paper and ink).

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera, Printer

Epson PictureMate Dash (PM 260) Portable Photo Lab originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2007 at 10:00 pm.

A couple months ago, I was been bitten by the video bug when I started watching Josh Leo’s Vlog. This guy makes some really great videos and they inspired me to try my hand at doing the same thing. Well, not really the same thing, because I didn’t start an actual Vlog. When I get in front of the camera I tend to look and act like a total goob. No one wants to see that, trust me ;o) Instead, I decided to do what I think I do pretty well; make reviews. Small video reviews to be more exact. Or as I have been calling them: “See it in action” spots. So far I’ve made 4 of these spots and they seem to be getting a little better each time.

My first video camera has been the Canon Optura 600. I thought my Canon was pretty darn good until Brando sent me the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 to review. High Def? Oh boy! But, does this device truly live up to the saying that good things come in small packages? Let’s see.

Hardware Specs

Effective pixel count: Approx. 5.1 megapixels
CCD: 1/2.5 inch, 5.36-megapixel 2ch-readout CCD (total)
Recording Media: SD Memory Card
Recording file formats: Still: JPEG (DCF, Exif 2.2, DPOF standard), Video: MPEG4 (ISO Standard), Audio: 48kHz Sampling,16bit, 2ch, AAC-compression (stereo)
Resolution (pixels): Still: [10M] 3680 x 2760, [5M-H] 2592 x 1944 (low-compression), [5M-S] 2592 x 1944 (standard-compression) [3M-T] 1536 x 2048, [2M] 1600 x 1200, [1.2M] 1280 x 960, [0.3M] 640 x 480
Video: [HD-SHQ] 1280 x 720 (30fps, 9Mbps), [HD-HQ] 1280 x 720 (30fps, 6 Mbps) [TV-HR] 640 x 480 (60fps, 6 Mbps), [TV-SHQ] 640 x 480 (30fps, 3Mbps) [TV-HQ] 640 x 480 (30fps, 2 Mbps), [Web-HQ] 320 x 240 (15fps)
Lens: 6.3 – 63 mm (38 – 380 mm on a 35 mm camera), 10x optical zoom lens
Open f/3.5 (W) – 3.5 (T), AF: 9 groups, 12 lenses, built-in ND filter
Photo range: Standard: 10cm (wide) / 100cm (Tele) to infinity, Macro: 1 cm (wide) to 100cm (wide)
Shutter speed: Still: 1/2 sec ~ 1/2000 sec. (Flash: 1/30 ~ 1/2000 sec., Lamp mode: max 4 secs)
Video: 1/30 sec – 1/10000 sec
Digital zoom: Shooting: 10x max
Playback: 58x max. ([10M] mode, depending on the resolution)
Focus: Auto (Still: 5-point AF/Spot AF, Video: Continuous area AF), Manual: (16 steps)
Program AE: Auto/Sports/Portrait/Landscape/Night View/Fireworks/Lamp
Filter function: Standard/Cosmetic/Monochrome/Sepia
Photometry: Multi/Center-weighted/Spot
Exposure correction: Program AE, +-1.8 EV (in 0.3 EV steps)
Video clip correction: Camera shake correction, Flicker reduction, Wind noise reduction
Sensitivity: Still: Auto (ISO 50-400), Manual (ISO 50/100/200/400, Lamp mode: Max 1600)
Video: Auto (ISO 200-800), Manual (ISO 200/400/800/1600)
Self timer: 2sec./10 sec.
White balance: Auto: Full Auto TTL, Manual: Sunny/Cloudy/Fluorescent/Incandescent/Sampling
Flash: Auto/Forced/Off/ Red-Eye (Slow, synchro mode possible in Night View mode)
Flash Range: 30cm-2.8m [Wide], 30cm-1.9 [Tele]
Audio: Microphone: Built-in stereo, Speaker: Built-in mono (L/R mixed output)
LCD monitor: 2.2-inch OLED, 210,000-pixels (coverage 100%, 4-level brightness), 285? rotation
Interface: AV output (Video: D4/Composite Video/S-Video, NTSC/PAL, Audio: stereo)
USB 2.0 High-Speed (Storage Class+PC Camera+Video Class)
:interfacing via docking station connecting adaptor
Languages: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Korean, Traditional or Simplified Chinese
Power source: Lithium-ion battery (DB-L40/1200mA, included), Charging AC adapter included)
Approx. battery life: Video: 80 min.
Dimensions: 3.1″(W) x 1.4″(D) x 4.7″(H)
Weight: 7.4 oz. approx. (main unit only); 8.3 oz. approx. (including battery and a standard SD card)

Package Contents

Sanyo HD1 camera
Docking station
Remote controller
AC Adapter
Cable adapter
AV cables to connect to TV
Component cable
USB cable
Zippered case (not pictured)
Handstrap
Lens cap
Instruction manual
Quick guide
CD Software pack:
Motion Director SE 1.1 (Windows)
Ulead PhotoExplorer 4.0 SE (Windows)
Ulead PhotoExplorer for Mac 2.0 (OS X)
Ulead MovieFactory 4.0 SE (Windows)
QuickTime 7 (Windows)

The Xacti HD1 pretty much ships with everything you need to get up and running quickly and easily. Well that is except for an SD card. You’ll want the biggest / fastest card you can find because recording HD video takes a lot of memory depending which mode you set it to record at:

Before I really get started with this review, I have to say up front that I’m a digital video camera newbie. This is only the 2nd such camera that I’ve had the opportunity to use. So this is mostly going to talk about how easy this camera is to operate and my general impressions on the video quality.

HD stands for High Definition. That’s a term that is getting quite a bit of press these days given the fact that cable and network TV channels are really starting to broadcast more and more of their shows in HDTV (network TV is set to switch over completely by 2009). I purchased a TV that can view HDTV stations 2 years ago, and I absolutely love it when my fave shows or a movie is in HD. The difference in picture quality between HDTV and regular TV is like night and day. So, when I heard about the Xacti HD1 camera, all I could think about was recording video clips that looked as good as the stuff I watch on my TV. It’s not quite that cut and dry though. HDTV has several different formats and resolutions. The main ones are 1080i, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and 720p which has a resolution of 1280 x 720. Both can be shown in 16:9 (widescreen) format and 4:3 format. The Xacti’s max resolution is that of 720p (1280 x 720) widescreen.

You have to agree that this camera is a real looker. It has a sort of a titanium colored plastic shell. There are metal parts too (I think).

Logo side up, the Xacti has a flip up, rotating display. On the outside of the display, is the stereo microphone. Right above the display and to the left, is the battery charging status LED. This LED glows Red when the battery is charging, and turns off when charging is complete.

On the top edge of the camera there is a pop up flash. A button on the opposite side of the camera pops open the flash when you need to use it when taking still images. Unfortunately, the flash will not pop open automatically when needed.

On the back side of the camera there is the battery compartment, external microphone jack and flash button. The front of the camera facing the lens, there is an eyelet for the lens cover, and the IR port.

The size of the Xacti HD1 is just right and it fits comfortably in your hand using a pistol style grip. All of the important controls are within very easy thumb press distance. Build quality feels solid and performing the good old Gadgeteer creak test yielded no flexing of the case.

In the image above, you can see the flip open display. It is a 2.2 inch OLED (organic light emitting diode) display, which is crisp and bright while not drawing as much power as a regular TFT display. The only slight complaint I have about the display is in opening it. There needs to be an edge or something better to grab on to. If you are wearing gloves or mittens, it’s pretty awkward to open.

Camera control is by way of 6 main buttons. Starting clockwise from the top, there is the spring loaded Zoom switch. Push up to zoom in and push down to zoom back out. The Xacti has a 10x optical zoom and a 10x digital zoom (which gives you a total of 100x). The next button is the Video Recording button. Press it once to start recording, and again to stop recording. Next in line is the Menu button. Pressing this button will bring up the on screen menu, and pressing it a 2nd time will exit out of the menu. More about the menus in a minute. The bottom button is the Record / Play mode switch. Directly across from the Menu button is the Set button. This is actually a mini joystick. With it you navigate through menus and settings. It will also allow you to change some settings while in video recording mode. The button across from the Video Recording button is the Shutter button. Like typical digital cameras, you press this button halfway to focus and then the rest of the way to take the shot. It is interesting to point out that you can take still shots even during video recording.

Below the main buttons is the SD card slot, which is protected by a spring loaded flip open door.

The only other control buttons are located under the flip up display. Here you will find the On/Off button, HD/Normal video recording mode toggle button and the Sequential / Single still image shooting mode button.

On the bottom edge of the Xacti, you will find a standard sized threaded socket to accommodate a tripod, and the docking station connector.

A nifty little docking station is included with the Xacti. The camera easily sits on this base and can be removed without the need to hold on to the base itself. The base has 3 connections on the back. One for the AC adapter, one for the USB cable or AV cable, and one the for the component cable. The AV and component cable are included so that you can connect the Xacti to your TV to view videos.

Now let’s take a quick look at the different menus and settings.

In the options setting menus, you can change set the clock, turn off the menu beeps and voice announcements. Yes, the camera talks, it really talks. In the options settings menus, is where you turn on the wind noise reduction and noise reduction features. What is the difference between the two? Well, one is for actual audio noise, and other is for visual noise. The wind noise reduction setting is just that, it helps you to make a good recording when the wind is blowing. According to the manual, you don’t want to leave this setting turned on when you’re not in a windy environment. Supposedly it will cause the audio to sound unnatural. I have not noticed this yet… One thing to be aware of is that once you turn the setting on, you’ll have to remember to go back and turn it off when not needed. Even turning the camera off will not change the setting. The other setting: Noise Reduction, is supposed to help guard against noise in your still images, enabling clearer snap shots.

The camera settings menu is where you have the ability to change things like still image quality, video image quality, exposure, ISO, white balance, etc. If you are the type of person that loves to tweak settings and is not content using the defaults for everything, you’ll love all the control that this camera will give you. You can even do some minor video editing right on the camera. By minor, I mean that you can ‘cut’ video clips and ‘join’ clips. These menus are also where you can turn on the image stabilization mode.

Ok, let’s get to the real world usage of this video camera. First of all, this camera is very fast to start up. If it is in standby mode, you just flip open the display and by the time you rotate it to the proper viewing angle, you’re ready to go. Thanks to the tapeless design of this camera, it is really that fast.

Most people would probably not buy this camera to use it for still images, but it’s nice to know that it does an excellent job with them. I guess it should considering it is a 5.36 megapixel camera with a 38-380mm range.

Click to see full-size still images (each one is 2592 x 1944 and approximately 1.5mb).

Like I mentioned above, you can also take a picture while you’re recording. In theory it sounds pretty awesome, but in practice, I didn’t get very good shots at all this way. It also caused the video to pause at the spot where I pressed the camera shutter button. The pix above were not taken while in video recording mode.

As a video camera, this little camera has the ability to do a really great job. At the same time, it can be very disappointing. At first I thought it was junk because all of my clips were so grainy. Then I figured out that this camera is super sensitive to light. If you try to shoot in a dimly lit room or even outside, you won’t be very happy with the results. This camera likes light and lots of it.

Here are some sample video clips taken directly off the camera with no extra modifications, compressions, conversions etc. I tried to keep them around 10 seconds or so in length due to the fact that they are quite large and I don’t want my web host getting too mad at me.

HD-SHQ 1280 x 720, 30fps, 9Mbps 13mb, MPEG-4 format. Click to watch video.

The video above was shot at the camera’s highest resolution setting and with no zoom. It was a gloomy day and the video quality doesn’t look too hot if you ask me. It’s actually a little blurry.

TV-HR 640 x 480, 60 fps, 6Mbps, 9mb, MPEG-4 format. Click to watch video.

Here’s another sample with more frames per second. Still not the sharpest picture.

HD-SHQ 1280 x 720, 30fps, 9Mbps 16mb, MPEG-4 format. Click to watch video.

Finally a video clip with crisp images. At least when the subject is close up… Those are my main gripes about this camera. It doesn’t seem to do well with low light and long shots. I can deal with the light issues. But the long shots will be a problem for a lot of folks. Not so much for me, as I’ll be using the camera to do my see it in action spots. Those are all close up for the most part. Maybe I’m expecting way too much from this camera. I don’t know. I guess when you read that something is HD, you just automatically think it’s going to be perfect.

I should mention a little about the sound recording quality. None of my video clips had much in the way of sound, but for the most part I’m happy with how the Xacti performs in this area. The microphone will be facing away from you when you are recording, so I found that the sound wasn’t quite as good as my Canon camera in this respect. The microphone location on the Canon is on the top of the camera. This can be remedied though by using an external mic. I’ll have to give this a try.

When it’s all said and done, the Xacti VPC-HD1 is a great little video camera. It has the ability to take HD quality movies given the right conditions. The tapeless design is pretty convenient. Yes, SD cards are more expensive than digital video tapes, but SD cards are also more compact, can’t get jammed and they let the camera power on super fast. Also, with SD cards, each time you record something, it will be saved as a new file on the card. I find that this makes it easier for me to do my editing instead of slicing and dicing longer clips to make shorter ones.

I’ve only had this camera for less than a week, so I plan to put it through some more testing until I come to the final conclusion as to if it will work as my new video camera. Right now I’m leaning towards yes.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Digital Cameras and Gear

Tagged: Camera, Digital Camera, Digital Video Camera, Video

Sanyo VPC-HD1 Digital Movie Camera originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2006 at 7:07 pm.

If you aren’t the type that likes to wear your camera on a neck-strap, a
wrist strap is always an option. But what if a wrist strap isn’t quite what you
want to wear either? Well, there is always the
Digi-Grip
offered by established eBay store owner

Julian Harrison. 

According to his eBay auctions, "If your finger is good enough to press
the shutter release, it should be good enough to grip the camera!" The
principle behind the Digi-Grip is that instead of using a wrist strap, the
camera operator’s shutter finger can actually wear a spring ring which is
attached to the top strap mount  post. The Digi-Grip measures about 2" long
from end to end. The larger spring ring, which is to hold the user’s pointer
finger, measures approximately 1" in diameter. A small piece of pink rubber
tubing rests on a portion of the ring for cushioning.

This is how it works…

The small spring ring end of the Digi-Grip is attached to the strap mounting
post.

Once mounted, the user slips his or her finger through the ring to a
comfortable spot. I can wear this ring either midway on my finger or all the way
at the finger’s base and still operate the shutter and zoom controls.

An interesting property of the Digi-Grip is its ability to quickly release
from the smaller spring ring. Usually, the snug black plastic sleeve is pushed
towards the smaller spring ring. This keeps the j-hooks closed.

To open them, the black sleeve must be pushed towards the larger spring ring.

Once the j-hooks are exposed, the Digi-Grip can be removed, allowing any
other security attachment to be used in its place.

I have had the Digi-Grip on my camera for almost a month, and it did take a
bit of getting used to. I am accustomed to a wrist strap resting on the back of
my hand as I take pictures, but with the Digi-Grip, it is just my finger
supporting almost two pounds of digital equipment. Since I am known for my
klutziness, I really didn’t think that such a miniscule item would make be feel
secure, but it is managing pretty well – I haven’t dropped anything yet! In
fact, having the Digi-Grip on my finger seems to make me grip the camera harder
- it is almost like a constant reminder to hold on.

Steve doesn’t like the Digi-Grip at all, however. His fingers are larger than
mine and he can’t insert his pointer all the way through the ring, which makes
him uncomfortable while taking photos. For that reason, I would say that in this
sense the Digi-Grip is definitely a "your mileage may vary" type gadget.
However, for those that don’t use any type of wrist strap on their cameras at
all, this may be a security device worth trying. For the price, Digi-Grips would
make good stocking stuffers for your favorite photographer.

Update added 12/21/05: Julian has sent me the
the newest generation of Digi-Grip Finger Ring, and it may solve the size
problems that men with larger fingers would have faced with the previous
version. According to Julian, "The new ring is 0.100" larger than the old
ring so the old ring outside dimension is now the new ring inside dimension."

I can confirm that the newer version is indeed larger,
and it now fits Steve’s pointer finger.

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, Miscellaneous

Tagged: Digital Camera

CooLanyard Digi-Grip Camera Finger Ring originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2005 at 6:55 pm.