Form meets function here with this amazing camera bag. This makes it so you don’t have to set your camera on the ground so you can take pictures from a unique angle. For the price of $48, you really get a two for one here. I would buy it, even it’s a little cheeseball.

Already one of the most trusted consumer brands in the world, GE will soon become one of the hottest names in high-quality digital still cameras. GE and corporate newcomer General Imaging Co. announced today that the two companies have reached an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement by which General Imaging will design, manufacture and distribute an all-new line of GE-branded digital cameras.

Entry-level GE digital cameras will start with 7 megapixels of resolution and 2.5-inch LCD screens. Higher-end GE cameras will offer up to 12 megapixels of resolution and 3-inch LCD screens. A photo printer will also be included in the line. The GE digital cameras will make their debut at the annual Photo Marketing Association trade show, March 8-11, in Las Vegas. Cameras will be available in North America from mid-April. Shipments to Europe and Asia are scheduled for later this year.

Noted industrial designer Takeyoshi Kawano will be the company’s chief designer. Kawano’s design credits include the Sony Walkman, the Sony VAIO computer and the Olympus Stylus camera series. According to Kawano, advanced features such as image stabilization, high ISO sensitivity, and panoramic stitching will be standard on ALL models.

Samsung released in Europe the i7 - an ultra-portable digital camera that has a 7.2 Megapixel CCD image sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens and like its predecessors the Samsung i7 PMP features ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction).

Samsung i7 PMP camera - LCD display has one unique feature - the i7 is equipped with a 3.0” touch screen LCD which rotates through 180 degrees allowing the user to quickly switch between features, so that they’re always ready to capture the action. An in-built Tour Guide function provides instant access to travel information covering 4,000 regions in 30 countries.

The 7-megapixel i7, with 3x optical zoom, has been created for those who want to capture sound, video and photos wherever they are without compromising on feature quality or design. With the LCD in neutral (0 degrees) the user can access SRS quality music files through the integrated MP3 player; and with the LCD rotated to 90 degrees its Portable Multimedia Player (PMP) function; and turned a full 180 degrees, high quality still images and MPEG-4 SVGA quality moving pictures can be taken. . The i7 will retail at £249.99 and will be available from mid-March 2007.

Source: CameraTown.com

Hasselblad has extended their H3D series with the 31 megapixel H3D-31 model, fitting between the H3D-39 and H3D-22. The new camera has been developed to address the needs of professional mobile photographers, whose work may encompass shooting a variety of subjects on location, as the H3D-31 model offers faster ISO rating and faster capture rate. Although the new Hasselblad H3D-31 will be available immediately, you don’t have to start running to the shops as the retail price is 19,900 Euros, or US$ 24,995…

PRESS SUMMARY

Hasselblad launches the H3D-31, the high-end DSLR camera system - digital camera and photography newsHasselblad extends the appeal of its outstanding H3D DSLR camera system to a new professional photographic audience with the launch of the Hasselblad H3D-31, the 31 megapixel version of the H3D-39, the world’s first 48mm full-frame DSLR camera system. Featuring near full-frame capture, the H3D-31 uses a 44×33mm sensor enhanced with micro-lenses to boost ISO rating one stop to a new maximum of ISO 800. The system’s new high-speed capture architecture, which is common to all H3D models and enables the fastest possible operation, also gives the H3D-31 an impressive capture rate of 1.2 seconds per image in either mobile or tethered mode. These features give the H3D-31 the highest burst rate of the H3D family and make it the camera of choice for the professional mobile photographer.

Today is Olympus day with the announcement of eight new cameras in the FE, Stylus (Mju) and SP ranges. Most interesting is the SP-550 UZ ultrazoom, boasting the world’s first 18x (yes 18x) zoom capability. Covering an astounding 28-504mm (equiv.) range it is sure to appeal to travellers seeking a compact camera for all occasions. Also featuring CCD-shift Image Stabilization, a 15fps burst mode (1.2MP) and a 7.1 megapixel sensor, the SP-550 continues a legacy of innovative large-zoom cameras from Olympus.

Have you ever wondered why your camera seems to take the picture after you pressed the button? This kind of problem deals with the focusing of the camera. It can be avoided very easily. If you can get the hang of learning to work a focus, you will be on your way to taking better pictures in no time.

The slight delay between when you press the button and the camera really takes the picture is because the camera takes time to focus right before the shutter snaps. This can be very difficult when trying to photograph children, animals or other objects that may not remain still long enough to be photographed. To minimize the delay, try pre-focusing your camera. It is a very simple step and just involves pressing the shutter button down half-way before you actually take picture.

For example, if you wanted to take a picture of your nephew blowing a bubble with bubble gum before it pops, you would first focus the camera on him. Before he starts to blow the bubble, press the shutter button down half-way. Most cameras will beep or display a green light to demonstrate the camera is in focus and the picture is ready to be taken.

Fremont, Ca., January 9th, 2007 – Lexar, a leader in advanced digital media and accessories, announced today that new Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC™) flash memory cards will be available as part of the company’s Platinum II and Standard lines of products. Lexar SDHC cards satisfy market demand for reliable SDHC cards that are ideal for storing and sharing digital images, video, and music and are offered at varying price and performance levels. SDHC cards from both Lexar product lines will be available next month in 4GB capacity, and later this year in 8GB capacity.

“As digital camera resolution continues to increase and capturing video becomes an even greater consumer habit, SDHC cards provide much needed capacity and performance to ensure a superior user experience,” said Michael Yang, director of product marketing, Lexar. “We’re excited about extending two of our popular product lines to include SDHC-format flash cards and we look forward to improving the digital experience of many who have – or will have – SDHC-enabled devices. Within these two product lines, an ideal SDHC flash card now exists for consumers needing varying price and performance specifications.”

Do you get frustrated and tired of taking photos of family, friends, pets, beautiful views, whatever–and just as you finger goes to press the shutter button– you see a flash of LOW BATT? Well not anymore. Panasonic gave this version of the Lumix a 17% power increase to the lithium-ion battery. Packaged conveniently with a wireless battery charger. Just plug into the wall and let charge for about two hours.

It also features a optical image stabilizer which controls the “shaky” look you sometimes see in pictures not to mention an optical zoom at that can zoom in 19.3X — a whopping 668 mm!

The quality of the images are good, not great. In some photos, grain shows along with a lot of noise in night photos causing it to lose a lot of detail.

One of the many things improved on the FZ30 is its movie mode. Record videos at 640 x 480 (30 frames/second) with sound until the memory card is full! To record longer movies you can simply reduce the resolution to 320 x 240, or you can reduce the frame rate to a very choppy 10 frames/second.

Overall, the FZ30 is a great camera. It has a fast 12X optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, manual controls, a high resolution LCD and electronic viewfinder, and a movie mode. But there is one big disappointment. A superior camera that produces average quality photos. There were higher than average noise levels, especially at high ISO sensitivities. I would recommend keeping the ISO in between 80 and 100, though you will notice some grain in your images. But at ISO 200 and 400 range, things get a bit fuzzy.

Canon is one company that really tries to corner the market with cameras, and can do so. This entry is really a third generation into their “affordable” entry-level series.

It’s a lightweight SLR digital, and it’s quite compact. You can adjust the mega-pixels from 2-10 if you so chose which is great. The camera is super dust resistant, and even has software that will map your picture, find dust and remove it, all with the press of a button. The back is a clean standard 2.5” LCD screen, which is good for those with dodgy eyesight.

The downfall is the “Affordable” price is, $800. That’s really asking a lot for a camera series that started at $1000. It has all the bells and whistles, and I’m sure the pictures on it are excellent. The real question you have to ask yourself is do you want to pay for all the dust resistance yourself, or can you take care of your camera. I know for some that asks a lot, as some cameras spend longer in the bottom of a closet then they do in use. They have updated the interface, they have made the camera more accessible, but for $800, I’d expect a little more than a cleaner interface, and the ability to clean dust of my mirror.

Polaroid’s I-ZONE 300 digital camera is light and small which fits easily inside of your purse or pocket -–but that is all there is to say when it comes to being convenient. After all I guess what it lacks in functionality, it makes up for in design. The square but sleek white frame is pleasing to the eye and resembles a hand-held game or a MP3 player more than a camera itself.

The 300 features a 3.2 megapixel resolution , 3x digital zoom and a LCD for previewing images before you shoot. The best pictures are those taken outside or some place when the lighting is good. If not, the LCD appears black and the pictures come out looking like midnight. However, if there is too much light, the people in the pictures look bright as the sun. It literally is a difference of night and day.

It’s internal memory only holds about four or five pictures so a memory card would be essential to catching all those moments you want to remember. It also features a video mode–but there is no microphone. Great for those that want to make their own silent films. Though the rechargeable battery probably would not last long enough to do that.

Overall, the 300 takes some decent pictures, at best. The camera would make a great gift as an starter camera for older children or teenagers. The quality of the images are good enough to e-mail to friends or update your MySpace page but not great enough to print off for the family Christmas card.