Steves Digicams have just reviewed the new Pentax Optio S7 digital camera, which features an easy-to-use Blur Reduction High ISO mode, Face Recognition AF & AE and 7 megapixel sensor.

“Indoors is where this little camera shines, except when needing the flash. These little cameras have tiny flashes and when using the zoom, you’ll be lucky to fully illuminate a subject 6 or 7 feet away. However, I found it did work very well when shooting portraits from about 4 or 5 feet. People shots showed sharp facial features, good flash exposure along with great natural skin tones. Portrait photography is one of the S7’s best uses.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Pentax Optio S7 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

CES 2007: The Casio EX-V7 is the world’s slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens (equivalent to 38-266mm on a 35mm film camera) and measures less than 1 inch thick. The EX-V7 has a 7.2 megapixel sensor, mechanical CCD shift technology and Anti Shake DSP, and 33 Best Shot Modes. The Casio EX-V7 will have a price-tag of $399.99 in the USA and will be available in March. In the UK, the EX-V7 will be on sale from April 2007 with an RRP of £299.99.

The Epson Stylus Photo 1400 is a new A3+ six-colour photo printer which features Epson’s Claria Photographic Ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan and light magenta) and provides offers 200 years of durability and archivability in album storage. The Stylus Photo 1400 driver supports Adobe RGB for a wide colour gamut. Connectivity options include Pictbridge, USB 2.0 and an optional Wireless Ethernet Print server. The Epson 1400 replaces the popular Epson Stylus Photo 1290s and will be available this month for £299.99 in the UK and $399.99 in the USA.

The new Fujifilm Finepix F31fd is an updated version of the popular F30, which is one of the best low-light digital compact cameras around. Fujifilm have added Face Detection technology to the F31fd, hence the addition of the “fd” initials. Face Detection allows the Fujifilm F31fd to automatically identify faces within the frame, focus correctly and take a picture. The other notable new features are infra-red communication and a chunkier hand-grip. We find out if the Fujifilm F31fd is a worthy successor to the F30 in our latest review.

Website: Fujifilm Finepix F31fd Review

CES 2007: The new Sony 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo will be immediately compatible with all Sony Cybershot, Handycam and VAIO products launched from the beginning of 2007, and with the Sony A100 DSLR camera. The 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (MSX-M8GS) will be available from the beginning of February 2007.

CES 2007: The Nokia N93i is a compact and stylish digital camcorder and multimedia computer in one. The Nokia N93i offers MPEG-4 VGA video capture at up to 30 frames per second, stereo audio recording and digital stabilization, plus a 3.2 megapixel (2048 x 1536 pixels) camera with Carl Zeiss optics, 3x optical zoom, autofocus and close-up mode. The N93i expected to start shipping during the first quarter of 2007 with an estimated price of approximately 600 euros.

CES 2007: The Memorex TravelCard family is a new range of memory cards with 7 different formats supported for use with digital cameras, digital video camcorders, MP3 players and mobile phones.. Memorex’s Dual-Interface card is a Secure Digital card that integrates USB connectivity. The Memorex SD plus USB Dual-Interface TravelCard will be available in the second quarter of 2007. All other Memorex TravelCards are now offered at “market-competitive prices”.

CES 2007: Panasonic introduces new Pro High Speed SD cards with Class 6 SD Speed Classification, the highest class of the three classes of SD Speed Class specification as standardized by the SD Card Association. Sales of the Panasonic Pro High Speed memory cards worldwide are scheduled to begin in February 2007.

CES 2007: The Samsung S1050 is the new flagship model of the S series, offering 10 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom. The S1050 offers Samsung’s Intelligent Face Recognition Technology, which detects the subject’s face and automatically adjusts auto focus and auto exposure to ensure the best possible image quality in portraits and other shots featuring people. The Samsung S1050 will be available in the spring of 2007, price to be announced.

CES 2007: The Samsung S850 offers an 8 megapixel image sensor, 5x optical zoom and a host of advanced capabilities. More advanced features of the S850 include aperture priority, shutter priority and manual modes, continuous shooting and AEB. The Samsung S850 will be available in the spring of 2007, price to be confirmed.

CES 2007: The Samsung S730 and Samsung S630 are user-friendly compact cameras that represents the next generation of Samsung’s advanced image processing technology and quality optics. The 6 megapixel S630 offers the photographer a straightforward, uncluttered user interface and stylish, ergonomic design and is powered by AA batteries. The S730 offers the same design and features as the S630, but comes equipped with 7 megapixels. The Samsung S630 and the S730 will be available early 2007, prices to be confirmed.

CES 2007: The Samsung L73 is a sleek, pocket-sized digital point-and-shoot camera with 7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and the unique Smart Touch interface for easy access to all settings. The Samsung L73 is an ideal camera for any photographer wanting to take pictures without compromising on features, image quality or ease of use. The Samsung L73 will be available in black or silver finish in early 2007, price to be confirmed.

CES 2007: The Samsung L700 offers several advanced features, including a suite of advanced video and editing functions, in a compact, stylish metal body. It has 7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and a bright 2.5” LCD display. For ease of use, the Samsung L700 also features 20MB of internal memory and is compatible with SD/MMC and SDHC memory up to 4GB.  The Samsung L700 will be available in early 2007, price to be confirmed.

CES 2007: The Samsung i70 features 7.2 megapixels, 3x zoom and a large 3.0” LCD.  This premium camera offers an innovative sliding cover which, when opened, reveals the intuitive 9-button User Interface.  The Samsung i70 has an eye-catching body design and special finish. This combines with multimedia capabilities to make it a particularly attractive camera for people who demand entertainment on the move.  The Samsung i70 will be available in February 2007 for £199.99 in the UK.

CES 2007: The Kodak V1003 and Kodak V803 offer 10 and 8 megapixels respectively and both have 2.5 inch LCD screens, 3x optical zoom lenses and up to ISO 1600. There is a choice of no less than 8 different colours for each model. The Kodak V1003 will retail for US $249.95 beginning in March, and the Kodak V803 will retail for US $199.95 beginning in February. The KODAK V1003 Camera will be available from March in the UK in three colours - silver, black and pink - for £199.99.  The V803 Camera will be available from late February in silver and black (limited edition colours include silver, black and pink) and will retail for £149.99.

CES 2007: Kodak have introduced a new range of Digital Picture Frames at the CES show, from 7 to 10 inches in size and ranging in price from US $129.95 to US $279.95. The top of the range EX1011 Digital Picture Frame has a 10-inch (diagonal) 800 x 480 high resolution digital display in 16:9 aspect ratio with wireless access of pictures, videos and music from your home PC or online at KODAK Gallery over a standard wireless home network. The frame has 128 MB of built-in memory for storing pictures and videos, built-in stereo speakers and headphone jack for music.

CES 2007: Canon USA Press Release

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., January 5, 2007 (CES Booth #12606) – Canon’s new DC50 DVD Camcorder is a dream come true for discerning video enthusiasts and photo buffs seeking an easy way to take, view and share vibrant video and spectacular photos. Canon’s flagship DVD Camcorder starts with the convenience that direct-to-DVD recording offers and then packs advanced video features and photo power, exclusive engineering excellence and intuitive imaging expertise into a compact camcorder that is the soul of simplicity to operate and the master collector of memories for years to come. The Canon DC50 DVD Camcorder incorporates a robust 5.39 Megapixel CCD Image Sensor with an RGB Primary Color Filter that provides vibrantly colored video and brilliant five megapixel photos.

LiveBooks Press Release

Company Invests Time, Resources, and Website Marketing Tools to Train Young Photojournalists to Build Their Business

San Francisco, CA. – January 2, 2007 – LiveBooks, Inc., the leading provider of editable portfolio websites for professional photographers, continues to support emerging, talented photojournalists with its sponsorship of National Geographic’s “All Roads Photography Project” by providing the winners of this year’s international competition with a hands-on workshop about web marketing best practices and their own liveBooks personalized website. Through the liveBooks participation in this competition winners are able to gain an understanding of how to leverage the web to increase the exposure of their work and how to capitalize on that exposure with professional marketing skills.

CES 2007: Lexar Press Release

Lexar Debuts New “Capless” JumpDrive® 360, Plus Recently Upgraded and Award-Winning JumpDrive Mercury with PowerToGo™ software, and New JumpDrive Secure II and Firefly Models with Greater Capacities—

Fremont, CA , January 5th, 2007—Lexar Media, Inc., a world leader in advanced digital media technologies, will exhibit its broad lineup of JumpDrive® USB flash drives at CES 2007, including both new and upgraded models. Most notably, the company is introducing JumpDrive 360, an innovative “capless” drive encased in a stylish rotating metal jacket. In addition, the company is demonstrating its JumpDrive Mercury with PowerToGo™ software and showcasing its new 8GB JumpDrive Secure II and JumpDrive Firefly drives. All Lexar JumpDrive products will be compatible with Windows Vista, and all the company’s speed-rated drives will be enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost™.

CES 2007: Parrot Press Release

Parrot’s New Bluetooth PHOTO VIEWER 7’’ Displays 500 Shots in Vibrant Color, Freeze-Frame or Slide Show Mode

LAS VEGAS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Parrot has introduced a new, larger format Bluetooth®-enabled digital photo frame that holds more than 500 images and has a seven-inch active-matrix TFT screen for exceptionally bright, crisp photo images. The new Parrot PHOTO VIEWER 7”™ joins Parrot’s 3.5-inch model introduced earlier this year that holds 120 photos. The Parrot PHOTO VIEWER 7” will be available online and through retailers in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2007 with an MSRP of $249.