Liquid Image has just announced its new Explorer Series 8.0MP underwater camera mask. Allowing users to record underwater footage without having to carry a separate waterproof camera, the Liquid Image Explorer Series 8.0MP model 304 records VGA video at 30 frames per second and has the added ability of taking eight-megapixel stills. Depth rated to 15 feet, the camera comes with two AAA batteries and retails for £79.99.

Liquid Image has announced the launch of its Wide Angle Scuba Series HD 1080p dive mask camera. Allowing scuba divers and snorkellers to record underwater footage as they see it whilst keeping their hands free at all times, the Liquid Image Wide Angle Scuba Series 1080p Dive Mask Camera can record full HD 1080p video at 30 frames per second (fps) plus HD 720p video at 60fps, along with 12MP still images. With a 136-degree lens, the camera captures an ultra-wide field of view, whilst the mask features lever style buttons which are easy to press while wearing diving gloves. Depth rated for 130 feet, the Wide Angle Scuba Series HD 1080p is now available in the UK with an RRP of £329.99.

Sony has announced that it is developing a new type of high definition wearable video camera. The device will feature Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilisation technology, an Exmor R CMOS sensor and an ultra-wideangle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Additionally, Sony will offer a suite of mounting attachments, including waterproof and ruggedised housings. Sony plans to bring the new point-of-view video camera to market in Fall 2012.

Canon has posted a firmware update for the Canon EOS C300 and EOS C300 PL interchangeable-lens digital video cameras. Version 1,0,6,1.00 incorporates the following features:

1. Genlock synchronisation can now be used to synchronize the camera’s 24.00P, 24.00PsF, 23.98P, and 23.98PsF input signals.
2. Adds the Korean language to the camera’s menu.
3. Minor corrections to simplified Chinese language menus.

Website: Canon

ION Worldwide, a global consumer electronics company, today announced immediate worldwide availability of a new waterproof, Wi-Fi enabled wearable sports-action camera called the ION Air Pro. In addition to allowing users to shoot and share their videos instantly via Wi-Fi using the free ION Camera app for iOS, the ION Air Pro comes with 8GB of free cloud-based storage powered by MiMedia. Furthermore, the ION Air Pro also features Dual File recording, capturing both an HD and a lower-resolution WQVGA file simultaneously to allow for easier sharing to social networking sites and faster upload times. The ION Air Pro is available in a number of configurations starting at $299.99 through the website below.

Canon has announced the upcoming release of a firmware upgrade for the Canon EOS C300 and the Canon EOS C300 PL interchangeable-lens digital video camera .Version 1.0.5.1.00 will add Genlock synchronisation for 24.00P, 24.00PsF, 23.98P and 23.98PsF signal inputs. Availability for the firmware update is slated for late May.

GoPro and Technicolor announced today at the NAB 2012 Show that they have worked to embed Technicolor’s CineStyle color profile for the debut of the new GoPro Protune (a free firmware upgrade available for the HD HERO2 camera, available this summer). Certified by Technicolor, and developed by GoPro, the Protune mode firmware is claimed to “allow professional filmmakers a vastly improved and flexible workflow for seamless integration with other source material and post-production platforms”. Highlights of the firmware update include a 24fps frame rate, 35Mbps data rate, log curve encoding for better highlight/shadow detail retention and a neutral colour profile that, in combination with reduced sharpening and noise reduction, promises improved flexibility in professional post-production and colour design workflows.

Blackmagic Design has announced Blackmagic Cinema Camera, a new digital cinema camera design that includes features such as a claimed 13 stops of dynamic range, built in high bandwidth SSD recorder, open file format support, colour correction with full version of DaVinci Resolve and a built in capacitive touch-screen with metadata entry. Other highlights include sensor cooling, built in high-speed Thunderbolt connection, 3 Gb/s SDI output and a Canon EF lens mount. The sensor is capable of capturing both 2.5K and Full HD footage at frame rates of 24, 25, 29.97 and 30fps. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which is currently on display at the NAB 2012 Show (Booth #SL220) will be available July 2012 for $2,995.

Canon has been awarded six separate honours by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA). The award-winning Canon products include the EOS C300 (Best Professional Video Camera), the EOS 5D Mark III (Best Video DSLR), the not-yet-available EOS-1D X (Best Professional DSLR, pictured), the EF 8-15mm f4L USM Fisheye (Best Professional DSLR Lens), the Powershot G1 X (Best Expert Compact Camera) and the Pixma MG8250 (Best Multifunction Photo Printer).

Canon has announced the upcoming release of a new firmware update for all four models of the Company’s XF-series professional camcorders, enabling a new 35mbps recording mode. Popular with many major news broadcast corporations, this recording mode enables the capture of 1440x1080-pixel HD video at 60i or 50i. Once the firmware is installed, the recording mode will be accessed through the regular mode selection menu on the camcorder and the frame rate will be automatically selected, dependent on the camcorder’s PAL or NTSC setting. The firmware update is expected to be available for download at the end of May.

Canon has announced the development of a new digital cinema camera capable of recording 4K-resolution video. The Canon EOS C500 will offer raw 4K output and will be available with Canon’s EF mount and the industry-standard PL mount. Furthermore, 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 signal during 2K (2,048 x 1,080 pixels) video output will deliver rich colour and high compatibility with image processes such as chroma key compositing. Support for frame rates up to 120p in both 4K and 2K resolution will provide enhanced creative flexibility, enabling high-speed (slow-motion) video capture in high resolution. A development prototype of the EOS C500 digital cinema camera will be on display at NAB 2012. In the UK, the EOS C500 will be available from Q4 2012, priced at £20,000 / €24,600 RRP including VAT. In the US, Canon U.S.A. has “preliminary plans” for offering the camera at a suggested list price of “approximately $30,000”.

The Sony PMW-100 XDCAM HD422 is the smallest and lightest XDCAM hand-held camcorder to date. Equipped with a newly developed 1/2.9-inch “Exmor” CMOS sensor, the Sony PMW-100 XDCAM HD422 features a 5.4-54mm (40-400mm equivalent) zoom lens, and supports Full HD video at 1080i and 1080p, and 720p up to 50 Mbps MXF recording and playback based on the MPEG HD422 codec using the standard MPEG HD422 Long GOP compression technology. The Slow & Quick Motion function enables users to create artistic fast and slow-motion footage from 1fps to 60fps in 720p mode and from 1fps to 30fps in 1080p mode. The PMW-100 will start shipping in May (pricing to be confirmed).

The new Sony NEX-FS700 is an E-mount interchangeable-lens Full HD camcorder designed for high-speed shooting at up to 960 frames per second (fps). More precisely, the camcorder delivers Full-HD quality images at 120 and 240 frames per second in an 8 or 16 seconds burst mode respectively, with 480 and 960fps available at reduced resolution. The Sony NEX-FS700 additionally features built-in ND filters, with a newly designed wheel that rotates across the sensor like a turret. The wheel includes positions for Clear, 1/4 (2 Stop), 1/16 (4 Stop), and 1/64 (6 Stop). Furthermore, the NEX-FS700’s 3GHD-SDI and HDMI connectors can output Full-HD 50p and 60p, in addition to standard HD 60i, 24p, 25p or 30p frame rates with embedded time code and audio. 3G HD-SDI can output native 23.98, 25, 29.97 progressive signals; users can choose to output PsF over the 3G HD-SDI. The camcorder incorporates a 4K “Exmor” Super 35 CMOS sensor with a resolution of 11.6 megapixels, and Sony is planning a future firmware upgrade that will enable the NEX-FS700 to output 4K bit-stream data over 3G HD-SDI when used with an optional Sony 4K recorder. The NEX-FS700 is planned to be available in June 2012, with pricing to be confirmed.

Canon today announced that the Canon EOS C300, the first model from the new Cinema EOS System, has met the standards the BBC requires from cameras tested to the EBU recommendation EBU R118. The approval allows both internal and external BBC production teams to use the EOS C300 for the production of a variety of programmes to be broadcast on the BBC’s range of HD channels. The EOS C300 is the third professional camcorder from Canon to be approved by the BBC since the start of 2011, joining the XF305 and XF300 Full HD camcorders, which were approved for use in January last year.

Sony has just announced a new waterproof digital camcorder - the Sony Handycam GW55VE -, which features an Exmor R CMOS sensor and captures Full HD video at 50 frames per second. Dust resistant, waterproof to depths of 5m and shockproof to 1.5m, the Sony Handycam GW55VE comes with 10x optical zoom, 29.8mm equivalent wide angle and Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation technology. The new Handycam GW55VE waterproof camcorder from Sony is available in the UK from mid-May 2012.

The Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi is a Full HD pocket camcorder with an articulated screen and Wi-Fi connectivity. Equipped with a five-megapixel 1/3.2” sensor and a 4.3mm f/2.8 lens, the Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi features automated time-lapse recording, automatic shadow brightening and face recognition technologies, and weighs in at only 105 grams. Offering 125MB of internal memory as well as a microSD card slot, the Rollei Movieline Live 100 WiFi is available in black, white and red for €149.90.

Swann has unveiled its latest digital video cameras – the HD PenCam and PenCam 4GB. Each device conceals a miniature video camera and DVR inside a real working pen. The HD PenCam ($99.99) is capable of recording high-definition AVI videos (1280x720 pixels) and high-resolution JPEG images on microSD memory cards, while the PenCam 4G ($69.99) shoots VGA movies and 1.2-megapixel stills and saves them in its built-in memory. Both versions switch between video and photo mode with a touch of a button, feature date and time stamping, and are compatible with PCs and Macs.

Rollei has announced three new Bullet HD action camcorders. The Rollei Bullet HD Pro (€199.95) is a Full HD device in a waterproof black aluminium housing boasting a 170-degree fisheye lens and the capability to take stills at an (interpolated) resolution of 20 megapixels. The Rollei Bullet HD 2 (€149.95) is a 720p HD camcorder that’s also shock- and waterproof, and comes with a similar lens and a 12-megapixel sensor. Finally, the Rollei Bullet HD Lite 2 (€99.95) is an HD camcorder with a 135-degree ultra-wideangle lens and a 5-megapixel sensor. Each new Rollei Bullet HD model ships with a travel case and a comprehensive accessory pack, and each is compatible with the optional (€69.95) Rollei Bullet Remote kit. Availability is slated for April.

Swann today introduced its first Full HD wearable video camera: Swann Freestyle HD. Housed in a sturdy case that is waterproof to 20 metres, 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 for taking 8-megapixel stills. Real-time viewing is made possible by the detachable 4cm 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. Swann Freestyle HD retails for £279.99-

A virtual tour of Polaroid’s CES 2012 stand.

In addition to their Android camera, Polaroid actually have some interesting products on their large CES booth (cunningly located right next to Canon). There are not one but two 3D cameras, a waterproof dual-view model (iT023), a wi-fi camera (iS030), the Z340 Instant Zink camera, and the Dua flash that has a built-in movie light for shooting video as well as stills.

Take a closer look at the Polaroid CES booth in our photo gallery.