Technology website Gizmodo have just reviewed the compact 4.1 Megapixel Fuji FinePix F440 Zoom (which is the bigger brother of the F420 that I reviewed last month).

“What I liked about the T1 was that it was so pocketable and easy. I need something that I can take everywhere just in case to take pictures when my cameraphone won’t cut it (which is most of the time). The F440 has almost everything I liked about the DSC-T1, but only costs about $250 (there is a 5-megapixel F450 version that goes for a little more). I’ve had the F440 in my jeans pocket and in either of the two bags I use for over a month and never noticed it at all. It’s small and light enough to be a non-factor (except you don’t want to put it in the same pocket as yours keys).”

Website: Gizmodo - Fuji FinePix F440 Zoom Review

Olympus UK Press Release 27/09/04

Good looks, great performance

The Olympus AZ-2 ZOOM with 2.5 inch LCD

The four million pixel AZ-2 ZOOM is a triumph of minimalist design.  At just 20.1mm wide the camera boasts the latest in slim line technology, resulting in great performance and a crystal clear, 2.5-inch sunshine LCD to present the results.  Even when in use, the camera retains its compact style and dimensions - its 2.8x zoom lens operates from within the camera body.

The Olympus AZ-2 ZOOM is planned for release in November 2004, priced £299.99 inc VAT.  Features include:

- Four million pixels
- A 2.5 inch sunshine LCD to present high contrast images - even when the sun is at its brightest
- A 2.8x zoom which operates within the camera body
- TruePic TURBO image processor
- Camera shake correction function for movie shooting

Olympus UK Press Release 27/09/04

A winning combination of price and performance

The Olympus C-470 ZOOM

The Olympus C-470 Zoom sets a new standard for digital cameras. An impressive list of high quality features including four million-pixels, 3x optical zoom and the unique Olympus 1.8” anti-glare LCD screen are combined for the first time with an unbeatable competitive price. Features include:

- 4.0 million pixels
- 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 35-105mm on a 35mm camera) f3.1-5.2
- 1.8 inch sunshine LCD (134,000 pixels)
- 8 scene programmes (e.g. Portrait, Night Scene and Indoor)
- Movie recording function with sound
- PictBridge support
- TruePic TURBO image processor
- Ergonomically designed body

Supplied with:
- 16MB xD-Picture Card
- New rechargeable battery (LI-12B, 1230mAh) and charger
- Olympus Master 1.0 software

The C-470 ZOOM is planned for release in October 2004, priced £219.99 inc. VAT. 

Concord Press Release 27/09/04

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, today announced at Photokina the Concord 6340z - a high-performance 6 Megapixel/3X optical zoom digital camera for only $299. The first 6 Megapixel digital camera offered by Concord, the 6340z features an all- metal housing, 3X optical zoom/4X digital zoom (for total 12x zoom), MPEG-4 high-quality movies with sound, manual and automatic controls, 16MB internal memory, and a SD card slot.

“With the introduction of the 6340z, Concord Camera is once again first to market with an affordably priced, 6 Megapixel point & shoot digital camera,” said Connie Chan, Senior Marketing Manager. The Concord 6340z offers a unique combination of manual and automatic options for both the advanced and beginner photographers, including auto focus, continuous shooting at 5 frames per shot, dual mode self-timer, and more. Everyone, from first-time digital camera users to pros, will love the Concord 6340z.

The Norwegian website DigIT have just reviewed the 5 megapixel Samsung Digimax V50.

Website: DigIT- Samsung Digimax V50 Review

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. ANNOUNCES NEW FAMILY OF POPULAR PRICED 5 AND 4 MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERAS

5340z Boasts Large 2-inch Color LCD for Easy Viewing & Offers Great Value and Impressive Features for only $249

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (?Concord?) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, announced today at Photokina their new family of low-cost, full- featured 5 and 4 Megapixel digital cameras with 3X optical zoom - the Concord 5340z and Concord 4340z. The products are targeted at cost-conscious consumers who want high quality, high resolution digital cameras and a comprehensive feature-set that gives users flexibility, greater ease-of-use, and quality results at an affordable price.

Concord 5340z
Housed in a stylish metal accented body and equipped with a 5.1 Megapixel CCD sensor and precision 3x optical zoom, the Concord 5340z produces high resolution pictures with sharp details and superb printing quality. Large sized images can also be taken through in-camera interpolation up to 8 Megapixels, and the camera?s powerful macro mode enables close-up shots as close as 10cm/3.9?. Its large 2-inch TFT color LCD makes framing and sharing photos easier and more fun than ever. The Concord 5340z also takes high quality MPEG-4 movies with sound at QVGA resolution up to 30 fps. The camera offers 16 MB of internal memory and a SD card slot for unlimited photo-taking and is priced at $249.99.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. BREAKS $100 PRICE BARRIER WITH NEW FASHIONABLE 3 MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERAS AT $99

Great looking products in fashionable colors - both optical and digital zoom versions

Cologne, Germany - September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, unveiled today at Photokina a new line-up of trendy low-priced 3 Megapixel digital cameras, the Concord 3346z and 3043. With the introduction of these two new models, Concord Camera is leading the way to attract new digital camera buyers who favor stylish, easy to use 3 Megapixel cameras at ultra affordable prices.

Concord 3043 - Ultra Slim Metal Body, In Fashionable Colors
Priced at $99.99, the Concord 3043 is perfect for fashion-conscious consumers of any age seeking a portable, easy-to-use and stylish digital camera. With a less than 1” slim metal housing (20mm), the 3 Megapixel/4X digital zoom digital camera makes a fashion-statement in 3 of the most-popular color choices: red, blue, and silver. The camera is full- featured with 16MB internal memory and a SD card slot, a 1.8” color TFT LCD, and movie mode at VGA resolution up to 15 frames per second with sound. The webcam functionality will be especially popular on campus and with home Internet users. The camera features a 3 Megapixel CMOS sensor, but larger 4 Megapixel sized images can also be produced through in-camera interpolation.

Concord Camera Corp. Press Release 27/09/04

CONCORD CAMERA CORP. INTRODUCES “JUST FOR FUN” DIGITAL CAMERA LINE PRICED UNDER $50

Retailers can tap into the market of first time digital camera buyers who want to experiment
with digital picture taking without spending hundreds of dollars

Cologne, Germany, September 27, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (?Concord?) (Nasdaq:LENS), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced digital cameras, today announced at Photokina that it is extending its position in the under $50 camera market with a “Just for Fun” line of entry- level VGA and 1 Megapixel digital cameras.

The Concord Eye-Q 642 VGA and Concord 1500 1.3 Megapixel digital cameras are perfect inexpensive entry- level cameras for college students, web surfers, and even grandparents. “The ‘Just for Fun’ line of digital cameras allows retailers to tap into the large market of consumers seeking to cost-effectively experiment with digital cameras before committing to spending hundreds of dollars,” said Connie Chan, Senior Marketing Manager.

Nikon have released a new model in their Coolpix range of digital cameras, but rather strangely it is only being released in Japan and Canada. LetsGoDigital have the exclusive news:

“The new Coolpix 5100 is a lightweight digital camera with slim dimensions, 5.1-megapixel performance and surprisingly simple operation. Building on the success and capabilities of the previously released Coolpix 4100, it features the same stylish grip for handling comfort and an enhanced Graphic User Interface (GUI), which displays easy-to-see menus on a bright, adjustable1.6-inch TFT LCD monitor. All controls are placed on the back of the camera for convenient access. Common with several current-release cameras in the Nikon’s range, the Coolpix 5100 has the advantage of 14.5MB of internal memory.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Nikon Coolpix 5100

DCResource have today reviewed Canon’s new entry-level digital camera, the PowerShot A400.

“Despite its low price, the Canon PowerShot A400 doesn’t compromise on image quality. Aside from the occasional fuzzy background detail, the A400 takes very good photos, not bad for a camera costing about 150 bucks! While not the smallest camera around, the A400 (in your choice of four colors) is easy to take wherever you go. It’s well-designed and doesn’t feel cheap like some other entry-level cameras. Probably the biggest flaw on the A400 (if you can call it one) is the lens. It’s not the 2.2X zoom that bothers me; rather, it’s the fact that the lens starts at 45 mm—not great for indoor shots.”

Website: DCResource - Canon PowerShot A400 Review

Technology website AnandTech have just reviewed the new 5 megapixel Sony DSC-F88 digital camera.

“During our review, we discovered several strengths of the DSC-F88. We found it to have pretty good line resolution for a 5MP compact camera. It also proved itself to be very fast both in startup and shot-to-shot times. The battery life on this camera is incredible for a compact camera. Overall, we were impressed with the F88’s color reproduction as well. Like most current digicams, the F88 showed a slight yellowish cast when set to Auto WB in Tungsten lighting. However, when set to Incandescent, the color was pretty accurate. In our daylight WB samples, the F88 showed very accurate color reproduction. This camera showed very impressive noise control in low-light/long exposure scenarios. We also found the camera to have fairly intuitive menu layout.”

Website: AnandTech - Sony DSC-F88 Review

The Norwegian website Akam.no have published a review of the new Panasonic DMC-FZ20 digital camera, which has a 12x optical zoom lens from Leica.

Website: Akam.no - DMC-FZ20 Review

Pocket Lint have just reviewed what is sure to be a popular digital camera, the 5 megapixel Canon PowerShot A95:

“We liked the camera better once we moved the shooting mode dial into what Canon calls the Creative Zone. This is where you can start playing with the aperture settings and shutter speed. Selecting a low aperture for portraits gave us our favourite shots. The beauty of any digital camera is being able to experiment. We ignored the rule book and took hundreds of shots with different settings, viewing the results on the LCD.”

Website: Pocket Lint - Canon PowerShot A95 Review

The 6 megapixel FinePix F810 was first announced a couple of months ago and was only going to be released in Europe. Now FujiFilm have announced that this model will also be sold in the USA.

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Press Release 23/09/04

NEW FUJIFILM FINEPIX F810 DIGITAL CAMERA SHOOTS IN STANDARD OR WIDESCREEN FORMATS

Super CCD HR Sensor and New Processor Provide Speed and Quality

VALHALLA, NY, September 23, 2004—For consumers who enjoy viewing their digital still images or movie clips on widescreen TVs or monitors, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. announces the FinePix F810, the latest addition to Fujifilm?s extensive digital camera line. Featuring the same high quality Super CCD HR sensor, new image processor and 4x zoom lens found in the recently introduced FinePix E550, the new F810 provides the additional versatility of shooting in either standard (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) formats.

The FinePix F810 offers 6.3 million effective pixels and can capture up to 4048 x 3040 recorded pixels (12.3 million) in standard mode or 3968 x 2232 recorded pixels (8.9 million) in widescreen mode using Fujifilm?s proprietary Super CCD HR (High Resolution) sensor system. The sensor offers expanded sensitivity, from ISO 80 for superb image quality to ISO 200 and 400 for high performance and ultra-high ISO 800 (at 3MP mode or less) for low light or fast action photography.

Steves Digicams have just reviewed the 4 megapixel FujiFilm FinePix S3100 digital compact camera.

“Ergonomics were good. The controls are well placed, and the menu system was very easy to navigate. Its large handgrip allows you to steadily hold the camera when using its telephoto capabilities and gives it a nice secure feeling. It offers users both an LCD and EVF (Electronic ViewFinder), and they are equally-functional; you can setup the camera, and compose and review your images on either one. I favored the LCD for camera setup and image review, and the EVF for shooting; switching between the two needs only a touch of the conveniently-located EVF/LCD button. However, they only cover about 88% of the captured image, so you have to factor this in when framing a shot.”

Website: Steves Digicams - FujiFilm FinePix S3100 Review

DPReview have just reviewed the new 7 megapixel Sony DSC-P150 digital compact camera.

“I must admit I fully expected to be underwhelmed by the P150, and didn’t expect the 7MP CCD to offer any significant advantage over the 5MP version used in many cameras, including the existing P100. So it came as a pleasant surprise to discover that the P150 is capable of capturing considerably more detail without a significant increase in noise, and that some of the problems of fringing and lack of dynamic range have been fairly convincingly addressed.”

Website: DPReview - Sony DSC-P150 Review

DigitalCameraInfo have posted the first review that I’ve seen of Canon’s new entry-level digital camera, the PowerShot A400.

“There is a slight lift on the front face of the Canon PowerShot A400 that’s paired with a scallop on the back of the body, providing a secure grip for the right hand thumb and index finger. I found myself often having to hold the camera in awkward positions when using the viewfinder or when viewing the LCD in close proximity. The left hand basically has to fend for itself, a conundrum I solved by holding the camera body at the top and the base, as otherwise my fingers would block the lens or mask the internal flash.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Canon PowerShot A400 Review

J.D. Power and Associates Press Release 22/09/04

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Kodak, Sony and Canon Top Rankings in First Ever Digital Camera Satisfaction Study
 
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Sept. 22, 2004—Study Measures Satisfaction with Camera Performance Now that Digital Has Gone Mainstream  

Kodak ranks highest in customer satisfaction in two digital camera segments, while Sony and Canon each rank highest in one, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Digital Camera Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

The inaugural study measures the satisfaction of digital camera owners across four price segments: $199 and less; $200-$399; $400-$599; and $600 or more. Overall digital camera satisfaction is based on performance across four factors: performance, connectivity, cost and appearance.

DCResource have just reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10 digital camera, which features fastest-in-class startup, 8x optical “Mega-Zoom,” fast and reliable autofocusing, and energy efficient design.

“For those seeking a real bargain in the ultra zoom category, the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10 is it. You’ll have to give up a few things compared to the competition, but overall it’s a great camera for the money. You won’t find too many cameras with a street price well below $300 that have this many features.”

Website: DCResource - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10 Review

There have been 10 digital camera announcements today from 4 different manufacturers. Now Acer is set to join the fray by releasing 3 new models in December in the £250-300 range. According to the website Pocket-Lint, “On the cards are a 5 megapixel 3x optical zoom credit card sized model, a 6 megapixel 3x optical in black and another 5 megapixel 3x optical zoom model in silver.”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Acer to join digital camera market