Rollei to offer 3D digital camera

Do you love how stereoscopic 3D technology has changed the way the consumer electronics scene worked this year? Perhaps you’re sick of listening to arguments on which 3D viewing technology is best, and just want to get on with your life, but one thing’s for sure – 3D is here to say, and it isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Rollei too, wants to have a say in the world of stereoscopic 3D, and they are certainly not pulling any stops with their latest digital camera, the Power Flex 3D. Of course, that will be accompanied by a digital picture frame as well that does 3D, bringing a complete feast for your eyes. Rollei’s new 3-D devices are equipped with the special Parallax barrier display technology, which allows you to view 3D images and videos without the need to wear a dorky looking pair of glasses – now how about that?

The new Rollei Power Flex 3D will allow you to produce your own piece of video art, where a couple of simultaneously operating CMOS image sensors will capture 3D images with a maximum resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. As for videos, those can be captured for all eternity in brilliant HD quality (not full HD though, so that means you will just have to settle for 720p) that is recorded at 30 frames per second. As for the 2.8-inch LCD display, it boasts a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, letting the images appear in a manner where each of the two viewer’s eyes will see a slightly different image that will then be automatically assembled into a 3D image.

As for the Rollei 7-inch digital picture frame design, it will display 3D images with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels – not exactly the highest count out there in the market, but at least it is a start. Each purchase will ship with the Blaze Video Magic 3.0 software that will help 2D images transform into 3D images using but a few mouse clicks on the computer. The frame itself comes with a black decorative pattern, making it stand out from the crowd no matter where you place it. The Rollei Design and Power Line 3D Flex 3D will hit the market from the end of next month onwards at €299.95 each, making us wonder whether we will see this puppy at CES 2011 or not.

Samsung NX11 being prepped for release

Samsung is certainly making some headway when it comes to the world of digital cameras, and the NX11 is no exception. After all, the Samsung NX11 holds one of a feature set that is not too different from Samsung’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the NX10, and to add to its advantage, it is compatible with the new i-Function lens which was rolled out to go along with the NX100, also from Samsung. As for the NX11, this puppy will come complete with an 18-55mm i-Function lens, alongside a couple of new i-Function lenses, a 20mm pancake and a 20-50mm zoom silver color lens. Now that’s a pretty strong lineup of lenses for a digital camera that is not from the DSLR stable, which is quite impressive to say the least.

Just what does the i-Function lens offer? It will deliver the perfect picture at the fingertips of all photographers by offering an exceptionally easy method of controlling the camera. For the typical camera user, they will wrap their hand around the lens when holding the camera, but the new i-Function system enables photographers to naturally use their left hand to change the camera’s advanced settings courtesy of a button built into the i-Function lens, all without having to take the camera off the target. For example, you can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO in a jiffy using the i-Function button or ring on the lens, translating to easier and quicker configurations while shooting.

Apart from that, the NX11 also delivers usability, with a change in the grip design that makes shooting a whole lot easier and more comfortable. With a lens priority mode dial, it will definitely simplify the search for the best mode for each lens. It doesn’t really matter if you’re going to shoot photos of large groups or panoramic pictures, it requires just one press-and-sweep motion. Other hardware specifications include a built-in flash and built-in electronic VGA (640×480) viewfinder and a 3.0” AMOLED LCD display. The price to pay? $649 which will come bundled with a zoom lens.

Panasonic AG AF100 offers an above average video recording experience

Are you looking to be a budding filmmaker, and have the ambition to be one of the top movie makers when you grow up? Well, if that is the case and the answer is in a definite affirmative category, then you might be interested to know that Panasonic has rolled out its AG AF100 camcorder, making it the industry’s first professional micro 4/3-inch video camcorder that have been specially optimized for high-definition video recording. Of course, the price is not going to be cheap, as it has been listed at $4,995 which puts it out of reach for most of the working class since it is not an essential item, but then again, the AF100 does offer a new level of affordability for HD motion image quality. We will look into the AF100 in greater detail in the extended post.

Capable of affording the depth of field and field of view that is similar to that of 35mm movie cameras in a more affordable camera, where it will target the film and video production communities. The AF100 won’t find it a challenge to deliver film-like shallow depth of field and the wider field of view of a large imager, carrying with it the flexibility and cost advantages of a growing line of professional quality, industry-standard micro 4/3-inch lenses, filters, and adapters. Not only that, it also offers the capabilities of a full HD 1080/720 production camera, delivering superior video handling, native 1080/24p recording, variable frame rates, professional audio capabilities, and compatibility with SDHC and SDXC media.

According to Jan Crittenden Livingston, Product Line Business Manager, Panasonic Solutions Company, “The design of the AF100’s advanced, custom-designed 4/3-inch sensor affords depth of field and field of view similar to that of 35mm movie cameras in a more affordable camera. What’s more, Panasonic engineering ingenuity has resolved the aliasing and moiré that has haunted the DSLR shooter. In fact, the AF100 was based on what we heard from and saw customers doing: purchasing DSLR cameras because they liked the look of the image, but then agonizing over all of the workarounds required to achieve an acceptable high definition recording.”

All purchases of this 3.5-pound AG-AF100 will be accompanied by a three-year limited warranty, as long as you register the camera with the PASS customer support program.

Kodak Adds two more HD cameras to its pocket line

I love CES. So many new announcements for new toys. And this one is great for those loving to capture the moment with a pocket video camera. Kodak is adding two new HD cameras to it’s line of great pocket camcorders.

The first is a very slim PlayFul, which will sport the usual autofocus and image stabilizaiton, but also smart face tracking and full 1080p HD video. And the dedicated SHARE button sends video directly to media sites like Facebook, Youtube and Flickr via USB and your PC. It’s available in silver, blue-silver, purple-silver and blue-black.

Kodak has upgraded it's rugged Playsport camcorder

The next is an upgrade to the Playsport camera. In addition to similar features in the Playful, the Playsport also has low light performance, shock and waterproof (to a depth of 10 feet) design, and a cool feature on it’s LCD which adjust automatically to the lighting conditions it faces. The Playsport is available in Black, Red, Green, White and Aqua.

Both cameras record to SDHC up to 32GB. Look for them in the Spring with a cost of $150 for the Playful and $180 for the rugged PlaySport.

Casio TRYX camera unveiled at CES 2011

There’s always a few stars at CES 2011. These are the products that get billboards devoted to them at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and one of them was the Casio TRYX.

Since the digital camera market is flooded, it becomes very hard to come up with a camera that defies the usual conventions. The TRYX is that camera, as it has a very cool body. See how it flips out of its frame? The frame then becomes the handle of the camera for one hand, which really frees the user up from snapping photos with the other hand. The frame also allows the TRYX to work as a tripod.

In addition to this framing technique, the TRYX has a unique LCD screen that “puts all camera controls right at the user’s fingertip”. It has a touch shutter that can focus on an area or subject in the frame and capture it.

As for the specs, the TRYX is a 12.1 Megapixel job with a CMOS sensor, dual core processors, and Casio’s EXILIM ENGINE HS. The video is the expected 1080 at 30 fps. Other features include Slide Panaorma which allows for 360-degree panoramic images. It also has slow-motion video for speeds of up to 240 fps. It is also connected for social networking for photo-sharing on Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube, provided it is connected to a computer.

You should be able to get the TRYX in April 2011 for about $249.99.

Sony CLM-V55 clip-on LCD monitor

Fancy a clip-on LCD monitor for your DSLR camera? Well, that is what Sony intends to deliver with their spanking new Sony CLM-V55 clip-on LCD monitor. This will offer DSLR camera owners a brand new option to view their footage while shooting HD video, sporting a bigger area for your eyes to feast upon. To put it basically, the CLM-V55 is a portable video monitor that boasts a high-resolution WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) 5” LCD panel. It is easily attached to the majority of Interchangeable Lens Digital cameras and compatible HD camcorders courtesy of its supplied adapter. According to Sony, it is capable of displaying video footage during shooting/playback with excellent clarity and a wide viewing angle.

The clip-on screen can tilt and swivel to virtually any angle for comfortable framing in any position, even if you decide to indulge in a little bit of self-shooting. While it might be a whole lot more suitable for amateurs as well as budding photographers, the CLM-V55 will also not come up short since it is loaded with pro-style features that will help photo professionals and videographers shoot high-quality HD video footage with their Interchangeable Lens Digital camera.

Pixel magnification mode assists coupled with accurate focus confirmation will deliver an enlarged pixel-perfect view of a selected portion of the Full HD image. This is further complemented by a colour peaking function which will highlights the edges of accurately-focused areas of the video image. There is also an intuitive control wheel that enables quick, positive adjustment of a wide range of monitor settings without having to interrupt your shooting session. Adjustable parameters will comprise of aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), volume, brightness, contrast, color tone (phase), color temp and auto dimmer. On-screen markers are available to aid precise framing by giving precise indication of a TV’s 16:9 or 4:3 actual display area. The LCD monitor’s on-board mono speaker will also be complemented by a headphone jack for accurate audio monitoring during shooting. Want to pick this puppy up? While we don’t know how much it will cost, the CLM-V55 LCD video monitor will be out this March.

Hot Wheels get some camera action

We have seen some neat developments in Hot Wheels cars recently. For example, there were those miniature R/C cars the size of regular Hot Wheels cars.

I suppose someone decided to give those tiny cars even more of an upgrade with Mattel’s Video Racer. The Video Racer has a small video camera that is able to record 30 to 60 frames per second, as it is speeding down the racing track or the kitchen counter.

When the racing is done, the user has the option of watching them. This can be done on a tiny LCD on the underbelly of the car, or the footage can be downloaded to a PC or laptop via USB. It doesn’t look like an SD card is an option, but it really should be.

After all the video footage is downloaded, it can be pasted together to make the Speed Racer sequel that will probably never be made. Now youngsters will know what it feels like to be behind the wheel of a Hot Wheels car! Something tells me it is not as thrilling as the real thing.

You should be able to get this particular toy this Fall for about $60 each, which includes the USB cable.