Slovenian website Slo-Foto.net have reviewed the 5 megapixel Pentax Optio S5i. With 5.0 effective megapixels and a 3X optical zoom lens, the Optio S5i features a stylish design in an ultra-compact, lightweight digital camera.

Website: Slo-Foto.net - Pentax Optio S5i Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Pentax Optio S5i

Write a Review of the Pentax Optio S5i

CameraTown have published their review of the 7 megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-V3.

“Holding the DSC-V3 for the first time felt very comfortable, almost as if I have used it before. Since my main camera is a Digital SLR, I think it’s the large grip and balance that I instantly noticed. I also liked the fact that the majority of controls I would use on a daily basis were accessible using buttons on the back of the camera body, instead of having to go deep into menus. Sony has also placed these control right where they should be; The scroll wheel for adjusting aperture, shutter, and exposure is conveniently placed above the zoom rocker and is easily controlled with your thumb, as is the flash on/off, macro, review, self-timer, and delete buttons. I also loved the the large 2.5-inch LCD display, which seemed like a jumbotron compared to the paltry 1.8-inch screen on my EOS-10D. I definitely love the camera so far, but how will I feel when I am done reviewing it? Read the review to find out!”

Website: CameraTown - Sony Cybershot DSC-V3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Sony Cybershot DSC-V3

Write a Review of the Sony Cybershot DSC-V3

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 is announced today. The DSC-T7 has a 2.5 inch LCD screen, 5 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 also has a sliding lens cover and 180 shot battery life. The Sony T7 will be available in May for about $500.

Sony Press Release

SONY’S LATEST CYBER-SHOT T-SERIES CAMERA COMBINES OUTRAGEUOLSY SLIM DESIGN WITH HOT TECHNOLOGY

LAS VEGAS, March 8, 2005 - Sony’s new, incredibly thin Cyber-shot® DSC-T7 digital camera makes you the center of attention wherever you go.

Thanks to a highly efficient design, the Cyber-shot T7 is just over a third-of-an inch, making it Sony’s thinnest, fully-featured model yet. Though small in stature, the camera packs a powerful punch. It has a 2.5-inch `hybrid’ LCD screen, covering about two-thirds of the back of the camera, which is perfectly sized for framing, displaying and sharing pictures.

Through Sony’s distinctive miniaturization and high-density packaging technology, the camera incorporates virtually all the benefits of other T series models despite its amazing thinness. It features 5.1 effective megapixel resolution and an enhanced power management system for extended shooting time. Folded within the sleek body also lies a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens with 3x Optical Zoom.

Hitachi HDC-531 is announced on the Hitachi Japan website. Details about the new HDC-531 digital camera are limited at the moment. From looking at a couple of other websites, the HDC-531 seems to have a 5 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Hitachi HDC-531 will be available in Japan from March 18th.

Read the Press Release (Japanese)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S80 is announced by Sony Europe. The DSC-S80 is exclusive to Europe (which is why I missed it during PMA…) - in the rest of the world the S60 seems to be being released instead. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S80 will ship throughout Europe in April 2005.

Sony Europe Press Release

Berlin, 19 February 2005 - Looking for your first digital still camera that is compact and easy to use? Look no further than the new 4.1 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot S40, S80 and S90. All featuring Carl Zeiss 3x Optical Zoom lenses, ideal for high-resolution digital images and prints, and superb STAMINA power efficiency.

Your next digital camera
There’s a model to suit everyone in Sony’s newest line-up - the Cyber-shot S40, S80 and S90 digital still cameras. Attractive features like 4.1 effective Megapixel resolution, with a high level of STAMINA and easy to use functions adding to the value of the new models. Ideal for beginners to digital photography, these compact Cyber-shot cameras each feature a high quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3x Optical Zoom. In addition the new cameras offer bright and clear LCD screens - with the huge 2.5-inch LCD screen on the Cyber-shot S90 being especially useful for framing shots, viewing the user-friendly menu screens, playing back and sharing your pictures with ease. The Cyber-shot S80 offers a large 2-inch LCD screen, and the Cyber-shot S40 a convenient 1.5-inch LCD screen.

Polaroid x530 is now available in the USA in Circuit City and Walmart stores. The Polaroid x530 is the first compact digital camera to feature the Foveon X3 direct image sensor. The x530 has a 4.5 Megapixel image sensor and a 3X optical zoom. The X530 will also be available in Canada , Japan , Germany and the UK by March 31, 2005.

Polaroid Press Release

Polaroid Corporation announced today, the availability of Polaroid’s new x530 digital camera

Orlando, Florida February 20, 2005 - Polaroid Corporation announced today, the availability of Polaroid’s new x530 digital camera through Circuit City’s on-line store: www.CircuitCity.com and Wal-Mart’s on-line store: www.walmart.com . The announcement was made at the 2005 Photo Marketing Association (PMA) International Annual Convention, Booth #3532, in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando , Florida .

The x530 will also be available in Canada , Japan , Germany and the UK by March 31, 2005 . Additional US outlets will be announced soon.

Sanyo Xacti Digital Movie C5 is announced. The Sanyo C5 has 5 megapixels, 2 inch LCD screen and can record MPEG4 format movies with VGA resolution at 30 frames per second. The Sanyo Xacti Digital Movie C5 replaces the Sanyo Xacti C1 that I have previously reviewed. The Xacti C5 will cost 699 Euros and be available at the end of March 2005.

Sanyo Press Release

SANYO XACTI Digital Movie C5: Brilliant Companion for the Technologically Avant-Garde

SANYO’s Digital Movie Family has a new member: The XACTI Digital Movie C5 has the same self-confident appearance and sets bold new standards with its unique design. The interior of the youngest member of the C Series is refined and mature as well. The multi-talented C5 combines a dual purpose video and photo camera with the finest technology: a resolution of 5 Megapixels, a 2-inch LCD display (diagonal measurement) - all in an extremely compact and light case. The 23 mm deep aluminum body makes the XACTI Digital Movie C5 one of the slimmest photo-video combinations in the world.

Casio EXILIM QV-R52 is to be released in a new black colour-scheme. This new version of the Casio EXILIM QV-R52 is no different to the silver QV-R52 in terms of specification. The black EXILIM Zoom QV-R52 will be available from April 2005.

Casio Europe Press Release

Norderstedt, March 2005 - The new QV-R52 from CASIO is irresistible in the ever-popular trend colour black. Just like its sister in the silver metal body, the digital camera is equipped with 5.0 megapixels and 3x optical zoom. With the Direct On function the little black wonder is ready for use in only 1 second* and is ideal for every snapshot thanks to its shutter release time lag of only 0.01 second**.

Motifs can be easily viewed on the large 2-inch TFT colour display. The compact*** camera’s simple menu guide makes child’s play out of photography: 21 CASIO typical BESTSHOT functions offer pre-recorded scenes for different photo situations. In addition, they can also be supplemented by the user’s own motif programs. The integrated flash with red eye-reduction also provides fantastic photos in those moments of low light intensity. The features of the ultra light 168 g**** QV-R52 are completed by self-timer, Macro function, automatic calendar and world time, as well as alarm with picture and sound function. The camera’s almost 9.7 MB internal memory can be increased using commercially available SD/MMC cards. Despite all this functional diversity, CASIO’s own electronics enable a considerable reduction in the power consumption, thus giving the camera staying power over long periods.

Casio EXILIM EX-Z57 is to be released in a new black colour-scheme. Dubbed “Black Metal”, this new version of the Casio EXILIM EX-Z57 is no different to the silver EX-Z57 in terms of specification. The EXILIM Zoom EX-Z57 “Black Metal” will be available from April 2005.

Casio Europe Press Release

The new EXILIM EX-Z57 “Black Metal” with 2.7-inch TFT colour display

Norderstedt, March 2005 - The new EXILIM Zoom EX-Z57 “Black Metal” in its black aluminium body feels good in the hand. The 2.7-inch TFT colour display, which can be comfortably set to two brightness levels, is an immediate eye-catcher. 5.0 megapixels and 3x optical zoom make the small digital camera a power package for any photo situation.

Thanks to its SUPER LIFE battery, the EX-Z57 “Black Metal” is extremely powerful. The black-compact takes up to 400 pictures1 after only one charging of the SUPER LIFE battery. It also impresses with user-friendly elements like the Auto Macro function, an integrated 4-function flash with red eye-reduction and the Flash Assist function. Various pre-recorded scenes are available with CASIO’s typical BESTSHOT function for all different kinds of picture situations, such as portrait or retro. Additionally, the lifestyle photographer can expand already existing motif programs with his very own BESTSHOT scenes. Hobby directors discover their talent for films with the Movie function and can record movies with sound without time limit2. The internal 9.3 MB flash memory can be increased to any size with commercially available SD/MMC cards.

Ricoh Caplio R2 is announced today. The Ricoh R2 is a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 4.8x optical zoom and 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Ricoh Caplio R2 is less than 26mm thick and has a battery life of around 500 shots. The Ricoh Caplio R2 is available now and costs £229.99 inc Vat.

Ricoh Press Release

Ricoh launches the Caplio R2 – a sublime 5.0 megapixel digital camera offering with a 4.8x optical zoom lens in a super slim body

Tokyo, February 28th, 2005. Ricoh Co., Ltd., is proud to announce the release of the new Caplio R2 digital camera—a 5.0 megapixel masterpiece featuring an incredible 4.8x optical zoom lens that guarantees top quality pictures, and an awesome 2.5-inch LCD for super high-resolution images as well as enlarged characters and icons that enhance functionality. The 25.8-mm stylishly thin body of the Caplio R2, a product of Ricoh’s innovative retractive lens system, packs a host of advanced technologies, while the user-friendly interface of the extra-large LCD empowers both professional photographers and photo enthusiasts to take full advantage of all these powerful features. Able to switch between the rechargeable battery and AA batteries, the Caplio R2 is the perfect choice for those on the move.

As well as showing their new digicam lineup for 2005 (which looks very impressive), Samsung were also displaying a large picture of an intriguing concept camera (shown above). In a PMA Show of few real surprises, Samsung’s banner at the back of their stand hints at an ultra-zoom model, which would be quite a departure for a company that specialises in compact, easy to use and stylish digicams with a 3x optical zoom. Samsung obviously wouldn’t comment further on the mystery digital camera - time will tell if it actually makes it beyond the designer’s drawing board.

3 Megapixel Digital Camera Wins for Best Quality and Color Accuracy

Orlando, FL, February 21, 2005 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENSE), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced cameras, announced today at the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show & Exposition (PMA) that the Concord 3346z 3 Megapixel point & shoot digital camera has won the coveted DIMA Shoot-Out for “Best Digital Camera under $100.”

JVC GZ-MC500 Digital Media Camera is launched today at PMA 2005. The JVC GZ-MC500 is a 5 megapixel digital camera that records both still and moving images. The JVC GZ-MC500 uses three CCDs rather than one, dedicating 1.33 megapixel CCD to the red, green and blue colour channels, which JVC claims broadens dynamic range and produces sharp, vivid color with good contrast and low light performance. The JVC Everio GZ-MC500 will be available in March for $1,799.95.

ORLANDO, FL, February 20, 2005 – Just months after its launch of the world’s first hard disk camcorders, JVC today announced a 3-CCD version that offers high quality 5-megapixel performance when shooting digital stills.

The new GZ-MC500 Digital Media Camera is the newest member of the JVC Everio family – the only currently available camcorders that record onto a hard disk. Like the single-CCD Everio camcorders launched last fall, the GZ-MC500 records 60 minutes of DVD-quality video or thousands of photo-quality stills to a Microdrive® removable hard disk. With this newest Everio, JVC combines these benefits with 3-CCD/5-megapixel performance.

Kodak Easyshare C300 and Kodak Easyshare C340 are announced today at PMA 2005. The C300 is an entry-level 3 megapixel digital camera with a fixed-focus lens, priced at just $99.95 and available in May. The C340 is a 5 megapixel digicam with 3x optical zoom lens, priced at $249.95 and also available in May. You can see exclusive shots of the Kodak Easyshare C300 and Kodak Easyshare C340 from the PMA Show floor in my Kodak Booth to Booth feature.

Kodak Press Release

KODAK EASYSHARE C300 and C340 Digital Cameras Combine New Compact Design, On-Camera Cropping and High Image Quality, Resulting in Great Pictures

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 20—Eastman Kodak Company today introduced two new, compact digital cameras to its KODAK EASYSHARE line: the EASYSHARE C340 zoom digital camera, with 5 megapixel (MP) resolution, 3X optical zoom and on-camera cropping; and the EASYSHARE C300 digital camera, with 3 MP resolution and a fixed-focus lens. Both models provide people with an affordable entry point to the KODAK EASYSHARE consumer digital photography system for simplified shooting, sharing, organizing and printing of high-quality digital pictures.

Kodak occupied a large area at PMA in the centre of the show floor, with a large majority of the space taken up by the photo-finishing sections of the company, rather than the camera side. New digital camera models included the new Z series cameras the Kodak Easyshare Z7590and Kodak EasyShare Z730, and the more basic Kodak EasyShare CS340 and Kodak EasyShare CS300 models.

Click on each picture to see a larger version.

Kodak EasyShare CS340

Casio’s presence at PMA 2005 was quite large, but situated quite a long way from the centre of the show where the other major camera manufacturers were located. New digital camera models included the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505, Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z750 and Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z57.

Click on each picture to see a larger version.

Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z750

The Sony DSC-H1 is the star of the PMA Show as far as Sony is concerned. The DSC-H1 is the company’s first entry into the ultra-zoom market, with a 12x optical zoom lens equivalent to 36-432 millimeters. Following the likes of Panasonic with their image stabilization system, the Sony DSC-H1 has an equivalent feature called Super Steady Shot. Other features include a 5 megapixel sensor and, following the recent trend, a large 2.5-inch LCD screen. The DSC-H1 is quite compact for an ultra-zoom camera, as shown above, well-made like most Sony digicams, and is sure to be a real contender (albeit a late one) when it launches in June for $500.

Click on each picture to see a larger version.

The Fujifilm FinePix Z1 Zoom surprised me by being lot smaller than I’d imagined - it’s considerably smaller than a comparable camera like the Casio Exilim EX-Z55 or Konica Minolta DiMAGE X50. The lens is right in the top corner of the camera, which has a sliding lens cover like many of its competitors. Very neat. The Z1 Zoom is a 5 megapixel compact digital camera with a large 2.5inch LCD screen and 3x optical zoom.

Concord 3047 and Concord 4042 are announced today at PMA Show. The Concord 3047 and Concord 4042 are positioned as impulse buy digital cameras and are priced at at $79 and $99. The Concord 3047 is a 3 megapixel digicam with 4x digital zoom and 1.5” color TFT LCD. The Concord 3047 is a 4 megapixel digicam with 4x digital zoom and 1.5” color TFT LCD. Both cameras will be available in March 2005.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release

Orlando, FL, February 20, 2005 – Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENSE), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced cameras, announced today a new line of digital cameras positioned as “Impulse Buys” at the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show (PMA).  Designed to be the ideal camera for first time digital camera users as an excellent gift, Concord’s 3047 and 4042 take great pictures and are priced to sell at $79 and $99 respectively.

Sony DSC-H1 Cyber-shot is announced at the PMA Show 2005. The DSC-H1 has a 12x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 36-432 millimeters), 5 megapixel CCD and 2.5 inch LCD screen. The Sony DSC-H1 Cyber-shot is available in June for about $500.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA 2005, Booth 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 — The adage that good things come to those who wait has never been more appropriate than with today’s introduction of Sony’s DSC-H1 Cyber-shot® digital camera.

A five megapixel, Super HAD™ CCD imager, 12X optical zoom lens and a large 2.5-inch LCD are just a few of the features on this model that are sure to please even the choosiest photo buff.

“We’ve responded to requests from enthusiasts for this type of camera,” said Hiro Takahashi, vice president for Sony Electronics’ digital imaging products. With the DSC-H1 model, we have fully leveraged Sony’s digital imaging expertise to offer a high-zoom camera worthy of the Cyber-shot brand.”