PMA 2010

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Pentax megazoom gets minor updates

The X90 has full manual and semimanual controls, sensor-shift image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD and electronic viewfinder, and support for Eye-Fi wireless SD memory cards.

It isn't overflowing with shooting features like those models using backside-illuminated CMOS sensors, but it does have high-speed continuous burst shooting at up to 11 frames per second at a 5-megapixel resolution; macro focus down to less than an inch from a subject; you can add digital filters including Toy Camera, Fisheye, and Retro; and dynamic range adjustment for highlight and shadow correction. Movies can be shot at resolutions up to 720p HD at

Pentax Optio W90 looks its rugged role

There are a lot of rugged point-and-shoot digital camera options this year. But while most manufacturers are new to the market, Pentax is on its 11th generation with the Optio W90. The 12-megapixel camera is waterproof down to 20 feet, shockproof to 4 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

Built from reinforced polycarbonate plastic, the W90 has a 5x f3.5-5.5 28-140mm-equivalent lens in front and a 2.7-inch display on back. If you look closely at the lens surround, you can see there are three LEDs to help brighten your scenes. They're also designed to work

Casio refreshes budget-friendly ultracompacts

Though budget cameras aren't exciting news, they are what a lot of people end up buying--especially as gifts for friends and family. Casio's low-end models are better than most, too, which is what makes them even more worthy of coverage. The EX-S7 and EX-Z35 are updates to 2009's EX-Z33 and EX-S5.

The 12-megapixel S7 uses Casio's Exilim Engine 5, improving image processing and battery life (it uses a rechargeable lithium ion). On its front is a 3x f3.1-5.6 36-107mm-equivalent lens. On its back is a 2.7-inch LCD and, along with the camera's

SanDisk goes conservative with first SDXC card

While some people are clamoring for higher-capacity SD cards, few need--or want to pay for--the extra video-recording speed. Panasonic, for example, will be issuing its first 64GB SDXC as a Class 10, 22-megabyte-per-second version card for almost $600; however, SanDisk announced its first 64GB card at a slower Class 4, 15MBps for the more attractive price of $349.99.

True, only products announced since January--and only some of those--support the new SDXC standard, but even in a lot of the newer cameras and camcorders, Class 4 is sufficient for video recording. However, that 15MBps speed might slow you down when

Samsung's NX lens lineup for 2010

Joining Sony in the fantasy-road-map department, Samsung finally, sort of, announced availability and dates for the first lenses for its as-yet-to-ship NX10 camera. However, of course, Samsung hasn't released pricing information for its NX lenses.

Lens	Availability
30mm f2 pancake	January
18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OIS	January
50-200mm f5-5.6 OIS	January
18-55mm f3.5-5.6 (no OIS)	Spring
20-50mm f3.5-5.6 compact zoom	Second half 2010
20mm f2.8 pancake	Second half 2010
18-200mm f3.5-6.3 OIS	tbd
50mm f2.8 macro	tbd

I find it very interesting that Samsung is planning to ship a non-OIS

Sony's magical mystery cameras

Ah, the concept display. It's a way for companies lagging behind competitors to promise wonderful and amazing things, throwing potential purchasers of seemingly less marvelous products into a paralytic tailspin, without actually have to deliver. They inspire media paeans and page-turning slideshows--guilty as charged, for the latter at least--creating buzz. Most often, the final product turns out to be drastically different (remember the Olympus Micro Four Thirds concept?) or at best is just a parity-match for the competition (Samsung NX10, anyone?).

Sony is this year's concept master, showcasing an entire line of fictional products--plus a couple prototypes, one

Samsung takes on Canon S90 with prosumer compact cam

Two years ago it was difficult to see Samsung as a serious digital camera competitor in the U.S. But that was two years ago. The company has since released a handful of models that have helped it standout, and its newly announced TL500 looks like another standout to add to that list.

Judging by it specs alone, the TL500 looks like it can take down Canon's PowerShot S90, one of the most popular cameras on CNET. In front is a f1.8, 24mm-equivalent lens with a 3x zoom. In back is a 3-inch swivel-mounted rotating AMOLED screen. Inside

Samsung announces kind of rugged cameras

Where once there were only a couple rugged/waterproof camera options, there are now several available; just about every major manufacturer has one. From the looks of these two from Samsung, it's still on the fence about whether it needs to compete in this area.

Pictured above on the left is the AQ100, a 12-megapixel ultracompact that's waterproof down to 10 feet for an unspecified amount of time (my guess is 30 minutes). It has an internal 5x zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD, digital image stabilization, and can record video at resolutions up to 720p at 30fps.

Samsung TL350 goes high speed and full HD

On your digital camera, do you hate having to stop recording a movie just to capture a still photo? Apparently this irks enough consumers that Samsung added a Dual Capture feature to its new TL350 compact camera. Start recording a movie (at resolutions up to 1080p no less) and you can simultaneously snap 10-megapixel photos. Hopefully it doesn't leave a big hole in your movie while the camera captures the still.

In case that's not exciting enough for you, the camera is built around a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor. In other cameras, this type of sensor has improved low-light

Samsung announces zooming mini camcorder

Its first foray into the Flip-dominated mini camcorder market, the HMX-U10, didn't seem to make serious inroads. But at least one of Samsung's follow-up model in its U series, the HMX-U20, makes some necessary updates and adds a unique new feature for the category: a 3X zoom lens.

While zoom lenses are common on traditional horizontal and pistol-grip design models, to date the candy-bar design favored by Flip Video, the Kodak z series, Creative's Vados, and so on has been limited to fixed focal-length lenses.

The U20 also adds a captive USB cable, one of the missing