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(Credit:
Matthew Fitzgerald/CNET)
For what it's worth, the consensus about the 2009 Photo Marketing Association show seems to be that it wasn't as bad as everyone expected. The mood was low-key, many of the booths were half empty, and several manufacturers were notably absent--like Adobe and Epson--while others only had meeting rooms.
Nonetheless, several announcements managed to generate some buzz, and most of the manufacturers I spoke with agreed that their business-to-business business at the show was quite productive. Despite the economy, tons of new products debuted, partly because planning takes place 6 to 12 months out. So it's likely that the first real signs of contraction will appear with the fall product lines. And, in fact, at least one manufacturer has already changed its dSLR release plans in preparation for tough times.
The biggest hits of the show seemed to be Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX1, a CMOS-based megazoom with a novel shooting mode that creates panoramas on the fly as you pan across the scene, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, a video-capture enabled version of its interchangeable-lens G1. What has everyone excited about the camera is how much control you have over depth of field when shooting video, a capability you usually only get with relatively expensive pro camcorders. And unlike the dSLR video implementations in cameras like the Nikon D90 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II, because the GH1 lacks a mirror it supports AF while shooting; in conjunction with the camera the company introduced a new Lumix G Vario HD f4-5.8 14-140mm lens which by design has a quieter focus motor so that the microphone doesn't pick up the noise.
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A correction has been made to this story. See below for details.
LAS VEGAS--Olympus has declared an end to the megapixel race.
"Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need," said Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department, in an interview here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). "We have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System," Olympus' line of SLR cameras, he said.
Instead, Olympus will focus on other characteristics such as dynamic range, color reproduction, and a better ISO range for low-light shooting, he said.
Increasing the number of megapixels on cameras is an easy selling point for camera makers, in part because it's a simple concept for people to understand. Even though having more megapixels can enable larger prints and enlargement of subject matter through cropping, adding megapixels comes with some drawbacks.
For one thing, smaller pixels can mean more noisy speckles at the pixel level and can reduce the dynamic range, so brighter areas wash out and darker areas become swaths of black. For another, images take more room on memory cards, hard drives, and Web servers, and cameras need more powerful image processors to handle them. And yesteryear's cameras already had plenty of pixels for making 8x10-inch prints, a size few people exceed.
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(Credit:
Pandigital)
The Pandigital PanTouch Clear 10.4-inch frame (also known by the far-catchier name PAN1000DWPCF2) is not only fully loaded with features, but it's really thin, too, at just 0.3-inch thick. The 4:3 frame uses an HD-quality LCD with a 1,024x768 resolution and it has a full touch-screen interface on fingerprint-resistant, clear glass. It's all very exciting.
With an MSRP of $229.99 you better be getting more than just a thin, pretty touch-screen frame, and you do. There's integrated Wi-Fi for connecting to a home wireless network and you'll be able to use an add-on Bluetooth USB dongle so letting friends and family send photos from Bluetooth-enabled devices is an option.
The multiformat card reader supports Compact Flash, SD, XD, MS/MSPro, and MMC or there's a USB connection for attaching an external flash or hard drive. Playback is limited to JPEG photos, Motion JPEG video, and MP3 files, though.
(Credit:
Matthew Fitzgerald)
At the PMA show yesterday, Pentax announced a new Limited Series lens, the DA 15mm f4 ED AL Limited. The ultra-wide angle lens has a 23mm equivalent in 35mm terms and has a closest focusing distance of 6 inches. The lens has an aspherical (AL) lens element, and an extra low dispersion (ED) lens element to minimize chromatic aberrations and ensure image quality. Image distortion is claimed to be extremely low for an ultra wide-angle lens.
As with others in Pentax's Limited lens series, it is built to a high-quality standard, featuring the lens barrel, cap, and built-in hood made of high-grade aluminum. The flower-shaped built-in lens hood is a great feature. The lens cap screws on and is felt-lined to help protect the front element.
The lens will ship in April 2009 for $649.99.
The Fat Gecko camera mount attaches a camera to a car, airplane, or other smooth surface with suction cups.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)LAS VEGAS--Having trouble attaching your camera to the outside of your plane? Delkin Devices announced a new product, the Fat Gecko camera mount, that could take care of your needs.
The $89.99 device has two large suction cups to hold cameras as heavy as 6 pounds, company Chief Executive Martin Wood said at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show here. The $89 device is strong enough to hold a camera on a plane going 200mph, he said.
The company is also working on two other versions of the device, one with two straps for attaching cameras to larger tubes such as Harley-Davidson steering gear, and one with a clamp to attach to tubes such as bicycle handlebars measuring 1 inch to 1.875 inches in diameter.
The devices can be repositioned flexibly through a double-knuckle adjustment mechanism, Wood said. The steel-frame Fat Geckos use a standard tripod screw for attaching any camera.
The SensorKlear Loupe magnifies and illuminates a digital SLR's sensor, and a window on the side lets it be cleaned.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Camera cleaning accessory maker LensPen announced a new product to help remove dust, hairs, specks, and other detritus that sticks to digital SLR sensors.
The $59.95 SensorKlear Loupe, announced here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show, is a magnifying glass that attaches to a camera's lens mount. Its four battery-powered LEDs illuminate the sensor, and unlike rival products such as VisibleDust's Sensor Loupe, a gap in the side allows you to clean off the sensor.
Unsurprisingly, the company recommends use of LensPen SensorKlear II to actually clean off the schmutz. The pen and loupe together cost $69.95.
Newer SLRs are equipped with a small motor that can shake the sensor or its cover to help rid it of debris, but sensors still have problems with dust flecks even when combined with new coatings not as prone to attracting flecks in the first place. Larger specks, especially when shooting with narrow apertures, can produce dark blemishes on photos.
Olympus' concept model of a svelte compact camera using the Micro Four Thirds standard.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)LAS VEGAS--Olympus has set a ship date, albeit one with a lot of wiggle room, for its first high-end compact camera using the Micro Four Thirds technology.
The camera maker first showed a nonworking "concept model" of the camera at the Photokina show last September, and the same model is on display here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show. Now, though it sports a label, "launching this summer."
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Click to see full specs
(Credit: Casio)If you know anyone who has asked for just a basic point-and-shoot camera to stick in their back pocket, point them to the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z29. Priced at $149.95, this 10-megapixel ultracompact camera is low on features outside of having 23 Best Shot scene modes and the ability to set the menu system color to one of six options: black, chocolate, cinnamon, rose, sky blue, and olive green.
Up front is a pedestrian 3X f2.8-5.2 38-113mm-equivalent lens, and in back is a 2.7-inch LCD for framing your shots. Here's hoping at least it's a fast performer.
Available in April in a choice of black, pink, blue, silver, and purple.
LAS VEGAS--Panasonic's camera group isn't happy with its U.S. market share and is working on a new marketing plan to improve it, executives said Tuesday at a photography show.
Panasonic's video-capable DMC-GH1
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)"In looking at the U.S., we have not positioned the Lumix brand to our satisfaction," said Panasonic Executive Vice President Robert Perry at a press event at the Photo Marketing Association show here.
The company has No. 1 digital camera share in France and routinely is first or second in various other areas, but it's working to fix its sales problem in the United States, he said. Specifically, the company has begun a market review, he said.
"Over the coming months, we will see many changes," trying to win the hearts and minds of buyers and trying to fire up the resellers "whom we need to get behind the product and support it and make sure they communicate our value proposition," Perry said.
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(Credit:
Matthew Fitzgerald/CNET)
JVC joins the rest of the direct-to-Web video party with its Everio X camcorder. It's relatively compact and designed to fit into a jacket pocket. The X has some design novelties, including a 2.8-inch LCD that flips all the way around so that you can view videos while it's closed.
The X incorporates a 1/2.33 10.3-megapixel CMOS to capture 1920x1080 AVCHD video; that's better than most of their higher-end single chip camcorders (which says more about their other camcorders than this one). It can shoot up to 2.4 seconds of 600fps stills for slow-mo playback, such as golf-swing analysis. In addition, burst supports up to 5 shots at 15fps for 9-megapixel stills.
The camcorder debuts a new OIS technology that uses a prism and shifts the outermost lens element for compensation. I'm not quite sure what's going on here yet; I need to read more about it--and test the camcorder, of course--before commenting on it.
The Everio X is slated to ship in late Spring (May/June) for $999. Clearly JVC doesn't understand that the biggest attraction for the pervasive recording market is low price. However, the lens is a pretty short 5x zoom, while its real SD-based competitors--models like the Canon HF series--have more flexible 10X or greater zooms. If it has decent low-light quality it might be able to compete, but that's never been one of the strengths of JVC's consumer products. We'll just have to wait and see.
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