Archive for May, 2009
World’s first camera goes on public display in Macau
If you thought the golden anniversary of Olympus’ Pen camera was something, get a load of this. From now until August 23rd, an elaborate exhibition entitled ‘The Invention of Photography and the Earliest Photographs’ will showcase some of digital imaging’s earliest tools, including the planet’s oldest camera. The wooden sliding box shown above will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of the Macau-based expo, though it will be surrounded by 250 photography antiques and 180 old photos, which were collections lent by the Nicephore Niepce Museum and 12 other museums, cultural institutions and private collectors around the world. Anyone planning on making the trip over? Make sure you take a few snapshots with your 90s-era point-and-shoot, cool?
Filed under: Digital Cameras
World’s first camera goes on public display in Macau originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 04:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ask Engadget: Best portable photo backup / storage device?
Coming to you live from left field, it’s this week’s edition of Ask Engadget. Once your done reading and replying (in comments below, naturally) to the question here, feel free to send us your own to ask at engadget dawt com.
“I am looking for a portable hard drive with memory card slots so that I can save my photos onto it, straight from the memory card. It needs to function without the use of a computer. I have seen a few of these, but nothing name brand, and I was looking for some recommendations. A color screen to view photos would be nice, but not necessary. It doesn’t need to be very large, 100GB should be more than enough.”
You’re right Seth, most of these things do indeed come from relative unknowns. That said, we’re sure a few of our readers have taken the plunge, so hopefully you’ll find out who likes and dislikes the one they chose. Right, folks?
Filed under: Ask Engadget, Digital Cameras, Storage
Ask Engadget: Best portable photo backup / storage device? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 01:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Philips SPC1330NC webcam reviewed: high quality but not exactly high speed
If you’re still Skyping in VGA you need to get with the times, brotherman. Two megapixel webcams are where its at, and according to the review at Register Hardware, the £70 ($110) Philips SPC1330NC delivers. It’ll interpolate up to eight megapixel stills if you want to play pretend, its f2.0 aperture gives it great low-light performance, and a stereo mic puts it ahead of the competition, like Microsoft’s mono-tastic LifeCam Show. Overall the chromed cam earns high marks, only disappointing by not delivering its advertised 90fps max speed until the resolution is dropped to decidedly sub-VGA resolutions. But, unless you plan on kung-fu chatting, chances are you can get by with less.
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Philips SPC1330NC webcam reviewed: high quality but not exactly high speed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
onOne’s DSLR Remote for iPhone fires your Canon from afar
Sure, EOS Utility will let you control the Canon DSLR of your choice from the comfort of your PC, but what if you want to add one more enticing level of indirection to the equation? Well, sport, for that, you’ll need a little app for the iPhone from onOne called DSLR Remote, which connects via WiFi to a utility on your computer — which is in turn cabled to your camera. It’s not on the App Store just yet, but there’ll be two versions available: Professional, for an introductory price of $9.99, which allows you to control a host of camera settings, and the $1.99 Lite, which simply lets you fire the shutter. The coolest part might be Live View compatibility, which would make a great poor man’s security camera (if you can call a 5D Mark II a poor man’s anything) — if only it weren’t for the instant rejection the app would face had they made it 3G-compatible, right?
[Thanks, Collin]
Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, Handhelds
onOne’s DSLR Remote for iPhone fires your Canon from afar originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Waterproof 5D Mark II housing allows for 1080p under the sea
People are already using Canon’s groundbreaking 5D Mark II to shoot feature films, but we never thought we’d see the next Jaws captured with a DSLR. ‘Course, whether or not Mr. Spielberg will actually choose to use one remains to be seen, but at least the option’s there now. Famed underwater imaging company Sea&Sea has just outed its newest waterproof casing, promising to keep the 1080p-capable DSLR safe for up to 60 meters under the surface. The only issue? It’ll set you back almost as much as the camera body, or ¥283,500 ($2,998). Good thing you’ve got a Hollywood-sized budget, yeah?
[Via Akihabara News]
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals
Waterproof 5D Mark II housing allows for 1080p under the sea originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Pentax gets official with 14.6MP K-7 DSLR: HD movies, HDR mode
After digesting loads of scuttlebutt here lately, we’re elated to see that Pentax has finally come clean with its new K-7 DSLR. The 14.6 megapixel shooter packs a rugged magnesium alloy body and arrives with an HD movie mode that captures video at 640 x 416, 720p (1,280 x 720) or 1,536 x 1,024 — all at 30fps. Needless to say, that’s more than the D90 and D5000 offer (both top out at 720p), and while Canon’s T1i does 1080p, it does so at just 20fps. There’s also an HDMI port, a 3-inch Live View LCD, in-camera lens correction, shake reduction and an improved dust reduction system. The real kicker, however, is the High Dynamic Range (HDR) capture mode, which snags a trio of images, then combines them in-camera to widen the exposure gamut. The body alone should ship in July for $1,299.95 — which is notably more expensive that recent wares from Canon, Nikon and Sony — and you can peek the full slate of specifications just past the break.
Gallery: Pentax K-7 DSLR
Continue reading Pentax gets official with 14.6MP K-7 DSLR: HD movies, HDR mode
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Pentax gets official with 14.6MP K-7 DSLR: HD movies, HDR mode originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Panasonic breaking more arbitrary records with two new 1080p24 camcorders
Another day, another couple of Panasonic HD camcorders. This pair may not be the make the same “world’s lightest” (with an asterisk) claims as the entrants we saw yesterday, but each sports a dubious record of their own. First is the HDC-TM30 (pictured after the break), another “world’s lightest” cam, this one with the caveat that, at 227 grams, it’s the lightest with 32GB of internal storage. It sports a 16x (44 – 706mm equivalent) optically stabilized zoom ahead of a single CMOS sensor that can record 1080p24 video. The other player, the HDC-TM350 (above), offers a bit more on the quality front and pledges the “world’s largest capacity” full HD camcorder, offering 64GB of storage. That equates to a nigh-ridiculous 16 hours of 1080p24 video shot through a stabilized 12x (45 – 540mm equivalent) lens. It even records 5.1 audio, but with the mics all placed within what looks to be a one square inch patch don’t expect great channel separation here. Both are set for release in late-June for undisclosed (but hopefully non-record-breaking) prices.
[Via Akihabara News]
Continue reading Panasonic breaking more arbitrary records with two new 1080p24 camcorders
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Panasonic breaking more arbitrary records with two new 1080p24 camcorders originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 07:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget Labs: The best point-and-shoot camera for under $400
The summer looms, and so too does the summer vacation season. Despite the economy there are visions of great trips brewing in the backs of peoples’ minds, visions that will soon turn into (hopefully) great memories — and (hopefully) great pictures. Some folks wouldn’t dream of going on those trips without an SLR slung ’round their neck or hanging at the hip, but then there are plenty of others who’d much prefer something a little more pocketable. Even for aspiring photographers there are times when lugging around five pounds of glass just isn’t going to work.
There are dozens and dozens of cameras intended for casual shooters all the time or serious shooters some of the time, with models suitable for pockets of every shape and size — and for wallets of equally varying dimensions. So, let’s take a look at some of this summer’s greatest, and see which comes out ahead, shall we?
Gallery: Engadget compact cam summer shootout
Continue reading Engadget Labs: The best point-and-shoot camera for under $400
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Engadget Labs: The best point-and-shoot camera for under $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 May 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
ATC3K action cam beautifully retrofitted into ski goggles
Remember Oregon Scientific’s ATC3K digital action camera? Yeah, it’s back and better than ever. Over at Biobug, one rather talented modder has decided to integrate said device into his UVEX ski goggles, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. All that was required was a soldering iron, some cabling, a Dremel cutting tool, an ATC3K camera, AA battery box and a small plastic case. Oh, and time — lots and lots of spare time. Hit the read link for a pictorial trip down assembly lane, and feel free to create your own for this winter’s best-ever YouTube vids.
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wearables
ATC3K action cam beautifully retrofitted into ski goggles originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 May 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
More Pentax K-7 details, pictures leak out ahead of launch
Read – RiceHigh’s Pentax Blog
Read – PentaxForums, K7 ad
[Via Electronista]
Continue reading More Pentax K-7 details, pictures leak out ahead of launch
Filed under: Digital Cameras
More Pentax K-7 details, pictures leak out ahead of launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 May 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
