The Casio EX-Z80 is a new 8 megapixel digital camera that’s designed to be “easier” and “more fun”. Available in six body colors - pale pink, vivid pink, green, blue, black, and silver - the EX-Z80 is compact enough to be cradled in the palm of the hand. The EX-Z80 can automatically take a photo at the instant when hand shake or subject movement ceases, and supports the H.264 video standard. The Casio EX-Z80 is available in March, price $199.99.

The Casio EX-Z200 and Casio EX-Z100 are new 10.1 megapixel digital cameras with a wide 28 mm lens and 4x optical zoom. Both use a newly developed 1/2.3 inch CCD sensor to allow for their thinner, smaller bodies. The EX-Z200 additionally offers an anti shake function that compensates for blur by moving the sensor. Both the Casio EX-Z200 and Casio EX-Z100 utilize the H.264 video standard, offer a 2.7 inch wide and bright LCD screen, and can automatically take a photo at the instant when hand shake or subject movement ceases. The Casio EX-Z200 and Casio EX-Z100 are available in March, priced at $299.99 and $279.99 respectively.

Panasonic have announced the development of the world’s fastest 32GB SDHC memory card. The 32GB SDHC card has a Class 6 speed specification for maximum data transfer speeds up to 20MB/s, perfect for recording High Definition video. The Panasonic 32GB SDHC memory card will be available from March 2008, price to be announced.

The new Samsung i8 camera features a 2.7 inch touch-screen LCD and PMP (Personal Multimedia Player) with integrated MP3 player. The i8 is equipped with Samsung’s Digital Image Stabilization system, Intelligent Face Recognition Technology and ISO 1600 high sensitivity. An in-built ‘World Tour Guide’ function provides instant access to travel information covering 2,600 regions in 30 countries The Samsung i8 will retail at £149, available from February 2008.

The new JOBO Photo Display PDJ151 digital picture frame has 1GB of internal memory capable of storing up to 4,000 images. The PDJ151 features a large 15” high intensity TFT-Color-LCD display and handsome Acrylic frame design. “This extremely stylish new JOBO Photo Display was created specifically to be the ultimate photo display to help consumers keep their memories alive and visible whether positioned on a tabletop or desk or conveniently mounted to a wall.” said Johannes Bockemuehl-Simon, JOBO’s CEO. The JOBO Photo Display PDJ151 is available for € 359,- MSRP.

Samsung has unveiled the 8.1 mega pixel L100, the 10.1 mega pixel L110 and the 10.1 mega pixel L210 digital cameras. All three combine Samsung’s Digital Image Stabilization and Intelligent Face Recognition Technology in a compact aluminium body. The Samsung L210, L100 and L100 also feature 3x optical zoom, a bright 2.5” LCD display and a suite of advanced video and editing features The Samsung L100 will be available from February 2008 for £99, and the Samsung L110 and Samsung L210 will be available from March 2008 for £129 and £149 respectively.

Kodak has announced a suite of new products that aim to make photography easy and enjoyable. “For 120 years, Kodak has helped consumers capture life-long memories and now, in this digital age, it all comes to life in high definition on HD displays, wireless picture frames and big bright prints - easily, affordably and without compromise.” said Pierre Schaeffer, Chief Marketing Officer, Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging Group. New products include the V1273, M1033 and Z1085 cameras, plus the ESP 3 All-in-One Printer.

Sony has announced a 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card which can store more than 4000 JPEG images at 10 megapixel resolution. In Europe, for the initial launch promotion, it will be bundled with a handy USB adaptor. The Sony 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media will be available in March 2008.

The new Pocket Album OLED photo viewers from Digital Foci feature cutting edge OLED technology which provides excellent display of images from almost any viewing angle. The Pocket Album Deluxe OLED 2.8 has a 2.8-inch screen and can store more than 3,000 photos. The Pocket Album OLED 1.5 is a digital keychain with a 1.5-inch screen holding 120 photos. The Pocket Album OLED 1.5 is priced at $49.95 and Pocket Album Deluxe OLED 2.8 at $99.95, available in April 2008.

The new DXG-566V HD Camcorder 5 Megapixel digital camcorder with a large 3” TFT LCD screen priced at just $149. The DXG 566V offers HD video resolution of up to 1280 x 720 at 30fps and D1 resolution of 720 x 480 at 30fps. It also features a high-resolution 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, 2x digital zoom, 3” camcorder-style flip-out LCD screen, and support for high-capacity SD cards. The DXG-566V HD is available immediately priced at $149.99.

The Samsung NV24HD digital compact is Samsung’s first High Definition (HD) camera. The 10 megapixel NV24HD records 720p resolution video at 30 frames per second and can connect to a HDTV via HDMI. The NV24HD also features an innovative 2.5” OLED screen to provide a faster response time, a wider viewing angle and higher image quality. “We are thrilled to take the range even further with the launch of the NV24 and its innovative HD capabilities. Photographers of all levels will now be able to create high-quality video recordings at the touch of a button.” said Robert King, Commercial Director, Samsung Cameras UK. The Samsung NV24HD is priced at £249 and will be available from March 2008.

The new Samsung NV40, NV30 and NV4 cameras all feature dual image stabilization and improved noise reduction. All three new models in the NV Series include Samsung’s award-winning Smart Touch User Interface which has now been further enhanced. “With new, improved image quality and enhanced features the NV4, NV30 and NV40 take the range to the next level. We are confident photographers of all levels will appreciate the addition of these three stylish models.” said Robert King, Commercial Director, Samsung Cameras UK. The Samsung NV4 is priced at £149, Samsung NV30 at £179 and Samsung NV40 at £199, all available from February 2008.

Corsair is expanding its Flash Voyager and Flash Survivor USB drives with new 32GB capacity offerings. The all-rubber Flash Voyager or the aluminum-encased water-proof Flash Survivor can both be used as portable back-up devices for critical or sensitive information. “Our newest USB additions will allow a whole new set of users – multimedia, technical and data conscious – to take advantage of rugged, high-performance solid-state storage,” said Jack Peterson, VP of Marketing at Corsair. The CorsairFlash Voyager 32GB costs $229.99, and the Corsair Flash Survivor 32GB $249.99.

Lexar is set to expand its lineup of Kodak-branded flash memory products, including new Kodak USB Flash drives and higher-capacity SD cards. In addition new mobile microSD and microSDHC memory cards will be introduced. All Kodak-branded Lexar products are designed to provide customers with the best of both worlds—Kodak’s renowned brand quality teamed with advanced, innovative Lexar technology. “Now, with a closer alliance between our two companies, we’re in a better position than ever to combine Kodak’s brand strength and product breadth with Lexar’s technology and manufacturing expertise to create a new class of affordable, high-quality Kodak memory products that address today’s growing technology markets.” commented Mark Adams, Vice President of Lexar Media.

The latest version of the award-winning Backup Now 5 backup and recovery software is now shipping. Available in four different versions - Standard, Shadow, Image and Advanced - individual, mobile and networked users can buy the features they need now and move up to the next tier as their needs change. NTI’s trademarked Easy Steps interface makes backups recovery and migration a simple three-step process. “Consumers who have been looking for a solution that takes the confusion and complexity out of data protection will find that the fifth generation of Backup Now is truly effortless,” said Yao.  “And with four editions to choose from, they don’t have to buy more features than they need.  Their investment is future-proofed because they can add features when they’re ready.” Pricing is US$49.99 for the Standard Edition, US$69.99 for the Shadow and Image Editions and US$99.99 for the Advanced Edition.

Pro photographer Lawrence Ripsher has reviewed the new Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera.

“The Canon 1D Mark III has become my new workhorse. It has all but completely replaced the Canon 5D I was previously shooting with, proving to me every time it is worth the extra weight and drop of 2 megapixels. Even though the 5D still produces superb high quality images, the 1D matches it in good light and is able to go that extra mile at high ISO settings. Likely along with the Nikon D3, it represents the best in low light shooting image quality.”

Website: Lawrence Ripsher - Canon EOS-1D Mark III Review

The winners of the December 2007 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for December was “Family” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Family by vjbm

Prize: 1 copy of Powerretouche Full Pro Pack
Kindly donated by Powerretouche.
http://powerretouche.com

The new entry-level Kodak C813 digital camera has quietly made its way onto Kodak’s website. The C813 is an 8 megapixel model with 3x optical lens (36-108mm), 2.4 inch LCD screen, digital image stabilization and a high ISO of 1250. You can also iew your pictures in high definition on an HDTV or other HD device, capture VGA video (640 × 480 at 15 fps) and use on-camera features such as cropping, blurry picture alert, and undo-delete. Nothing too exciting then, although the price-tag of $119.95 may be some compensation for the unexciting feature-list that the Kodak C813 offers.

Website: Kodak C813

Passengers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage on flights in the USA, effective from January 1st 2008. The new regulation is designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires and applies to all flights from, to and within the USA. Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Lithium batteries in checked baggage are allowed if they are installed in electronic devices, or in carry-on baggage if stored in plastic bags (maximum of two extended-life batteries).

The new RIDATA Smart Compact Flash Card features Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology so users can easily monitor the card’s status. “We are pleased to introduce the RIDATA SMART CompactFlash Card, which is the first of its kind in the industry,” stated Harvey Liu, Advanced Media president. “The flash memory market is growing quickly due to the number of new applications that use flash media for storage. As capacity continues to increase, RIDATA saw the need for an internal data monitoring system to ensure the safety of your data.”  The RIDATA Smart Compact Flash Cards are available in either “Supreme 150X (up to 8GB capacity-SLC format)” and “Lightning (up to 16GB MLC format)”.