Sony to announce Mavica MVC-FD95? - (19:12 EST)
We received the following email from Danny Brenner over at the Digital Photography World website:
"I have just posted a single photo of the to be announced new Sony Mavica FD95. It's on the opening page of my web site and I have no further details. -- Thank you, Danny Brenner - Editor Digital Photography World http://www.brenner.co.il"
Thanks for the note and a very interesting photo, Danny! Sony announces three new CyberShot cameras! - (19:08 EST)
Sony Japan has today announced three new CyberShot series digital cameras, according to the folks over at Steve's Digicams and the Digital Photography Review! (Sorry we took a while picking this story up, Mike has literally just walked into the hotel in Las Vegas, on three hours sleep!)
The new cameras are the CyberShot DSC-S30 (1/2.7" 1.6 megapixel), DSC-S50 (1/2.7" 2.1 megapixel) and DSC-S70 (1/1.8" 3.3 megapixel)... All three cameras feature the following:
- 3x optical (34-102mm F2.0-2.5 equiv. on -S70, 39-117mm F2.8-2.9 equiv. on -S30 and -S50) / 6x digital zoom lens (uses "newly developed interpolating technology" for smoother, more natural image; 37mm lens thread on -S30 and -S50, 52mm lens thread on -S70 - Built-in intelligent flash - MemoryStick storage - USB connectivity - InfoLithium long life batteries - 12 bit Analog-Digital conversion for increased dynamic range - TIFF mode for non-compressed images - Selectable 4:3 or 3:2 image ratio - In-camera zoom/trim and resizing allows images to be cropped, blown up, and reduced to a smaller resolution without the need for a PC - Auto-orientation - camera knows when pictures are taken in landscape or portrait mode, and plays them back accordingly
In addition, the DSC-S50 and -S70 add an MPEG movie mode with up to 60 second movies, and the DSC-S70 adds Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar optics, an optical viewfinder, a programmable AE mode with adjustable shutter speed and aperture priority, MPEG High Quality Mode, which gives full frame playback on a standard TV and an increased frame rate of 16 fps, and a flash terminal for the optional HVL-F1000 flash which will be available in April for $120. It appears that pricing/availability in Japan is as follows:
- DSC-S30: ¥63,000 (US$582), available 04/25/00 - DSC-S50: ¥88,000 (US$813), available 04/15/00 - DSC-S70; ¥113,000 (US$1044), available 03/25/00
For the full specifications of the three cameras, check out Phil Askey's Digital Photography Review coverage... Olympus announces two new digicams, printer and batteries! - (10:24 EST)
Olympus America Inc. has today announced four new products in several press releases, including two new digital cameras! These are the Olympus D-360L digital camera, a 1.3 megapixel unit based on the existing D-340R, and the D-460 Zoom, also 1.3 megapixel and based on the existing D-450 Zoom...
Here's the full specs for both:
Click for a bigger picture!
- Olympus D-460 Zoom digital camera - Based on the Olympus D-450 Zoom - 1.3 megapixel CCD (up to 1280 x 960 pixel image size); image compression options expanded since its predecessor. 1280 x 960 TIFF, Low compression or Standard compression JPEG; 640 x 480 Low compression or Standard compression JPEG - 3x optical aspheric zoom lens, all-glass, 8 elements, F2.8; macro focusing down to eight inches; 2x digital zoom - Built-in 1.8-inch LCD display, improved since its predecessor with increased viewing angle and better visibility in bright light - SmartMedia storage (compatible with up to 32MB cards) - 5 mode pop-up intelligent flash (red-eye reduction, force-fill flash, automatic low-light and back-light mode, flash-off and slow-sync) - Serial and Video out connectivity - ISO 100, 200 and 400 ratings - 2 frames per second burst mode for up to 10 images in all quality modes - TTL focusing system - Auto white balance with 4 preset manual settings - Center weighted, Digital ESP matrix metering and spot metering with +/- 2EV exposure compensation in 1/2EV steps - Improved menus and function button as compared to its predecessor - 3x playback zoom feature and 16-thumbnail playback mode - DPOF compliant - Ability to display file names on the LCD screen - Direct printing to the Olympus P-330 Photo Printer - Two new long-lasting Olympus-branded long life CR-3V Lithium batteries, 8MB SmartMedia card, hand strap, Mac/PC serial cable, video cable, Adobe PhotoDeluxe, Enroute QuickStitch, Olympus Camedia Master Utility and instruction manuals bundled - Available this month at a price of $499
Click for a bigger picture!
- Olympus D-360L digital camera - Based on the Olympus D-340R - 1.3 megapixel CCD (up to 1280 x 960 pixel image size); 1280 x 960 TIFF, Low compression or Standard compression JPEG; 640 x 480 Low compression or Standard compression JPEG - 5-element all glass coated aspheric 5.5mm F2.8 lens (equivalent to 36mm on a 35mm camera); 2x digital zoom - Built-in 1.8 inch LCD display - SmartMedia storage (compatible with up to 64MB cards) - 6-mode flash with Auto, Auto-S (red eye reduction), Off, Fill-in, Slow syncro, and Slow syncro with red-eye reduction modes - Serial (PC/Mac compatible) and Video out connectivity - ISO Automatic, 100, 200 and 400 ratings - 2 frames per second burst mode for up to 10 images - Auto white balance with 4 preset manual settings - Digital ESP matrix metering and spot metering with +/- 2EV exposure compensation in 1/2EV steps - Playback mode features 1 or 9 thumbnail viewing - Direct printing to the Olympus P-330 Photo Printer - DCF file number memory and photos reset options and DPOF printer compliant - 8MB SmartMedia card, 4 AA Alkaline batteries, strap, serial cable for PC, coupon for free Mac cable, video connection cable, instruction manuals, and Olympus Camedia Utility Software bundled with camera - Available this month at a price of $299
Also announced was a new photo printer, the P-330N:
- Olympus P-330N Photo Printer - Dye sublimation type, 306 dpi resolution at 16.7 million colors - Support for JPEG files up to 10MB and TIFF files up to 20MB - DPOF compliant, capable of print queuing, selection of the number of prints and specific images, rotation and trimming directly from the camera. Lamination, mirror output for t-shirt and gifts, multi-image output on 4, 9 and 16-cut sheet, sharpness adjustment, and indexing are also available. - Reads SmartMedia cards with built-in SmartMedia slot - Video In/Out connectivity allows display of images on a TV, or frame grabbing from any VHS/DVD signal - Parallel connectivity for attaching to a PC, serial connectivity for a Mac - Acts as a PC SmartMedia reader via the parallel port - Prints 1, 4, 9 or 16 photos per 4" x 5.5" sheet in either three pass (faster/cheaper) or four pass (adds UV coat to lengthen image life) depending on ribbon cartridge. - 2 minutes per page in 24-bit color depth with 16.7 million true colors - P-330N including the printer, photo paper and cartridge pack will cost $449; release date has not yet been announced
Finally, Olympus today announced its new CR-3V Manganese Dioxide Lithium batteries, which are compatible with two AA dry-cell batteries. Battery life of 2.75 times Lithium AA batteries, and 30 times that of Alkalines can be expected, and the batteries can be stored up to 5 years... Compatible with the C-460 Zoom and C-3030 Zoom, the CR-3V batteries are available immediately and have a suggested price of $9.95 each.
