Digital Camera Resource Page has reviewed a digital camera from Canon. The camera is called Canon PowerShot S95 and is pretty similar to a previous model from Canon, the S90.

Some key features for the Canon PowerShot S95:
-10 megapixel image sensor
-3.8x optical zoom lens (F2.0-4.9, 28 – 105 mm)
-Optical image stabilization
-3″ LCD screen
-720p HD video in stereo sound
-HDMI output
-Uses SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards

The review website ends up giving the S95 a very good review and calls it one of the best compact cameras on the market. On the positive side the reviewer likes the excellent image quality, the fast and useful zoom lens, the optical image stabilization works great and its LCD screen is large and bright. There are some negative points like with all cameras and they include a poor redeye function, choppy videos under some conditions, poor battery life and no optical viewfinder. If you can live with these minor annoyances and want a compact in the top class the PowerShot S95 might be your choice.
Read the full review of the Canon PowerShot S95 digital camera here.

Rollei has announced a new flexible tripod called Rollei Flexipod 100. This tripod has rubber legs so it does not slip and rubber limbs can be rotated 360°. The Rollei weighs a little over 100 g and measures 200 x 40 x 40 mm which should make it easy to bring along on photo trips. It is advised that the tripod can be used with camcorders and still cameras up to 800 g.

The Flexipod 100 will come in several colors including pink, blue, red, green and grey and be released on the market in January 2011 for about €15.

Press release:
A tripod for every occasion: Flexipod 100

Hamburg, 2 December 2010

The new Flexipod 100 from Rollei presents an extremely flexible camera tripod, which can be used pretty much everywhere, as its flexible, rubber feet adapt to any surface perfectly.

Bothersome readjustments of the tripod are therefore a thing of the past! No matter where you want to position it, on soft ground or uneven surfaces for example, the slender rubber tripod can be positioned securely anywhere thanks to its rubber limbs that can be bent and rotated through 360°. It can even be attached to a door handle! The rubber-tipped support feet ensure that the tripod doesn’t slip when placed on horizontal surfaces, making it ideal for use outdoors.

The Flexipod 100 is especially suitable for nighttime and time-lapse shots, as well as family portraits using a self-timer function in your own living room. Portrait, landscape and macro shots are also a cinch thanks to the small clamp mounts, which can even be used to attach the tripod to a tree. Its compact size of 200 x 40 x 40 mm and a weight of just 102 grams also make it easy to transport and stow. The Flexipod 100 is therefore the ideal accessory for holidays, hiking tours and sports events.

Compact cameras and mini camcorders with a weight of up to 800 g can be attached to the quick release plate with a 1/4-inch tripod socket. The Flexipod 100 will be available as of the end of January 2011 in pink, blue, red, green and grey for 14.95 euros (RRP).

Photography Blog has reviewed a new digital camera from Samsung. The camera is called Samsung ST5500 (or Samsung CL80 in some markets) and has an enormous 3.7″ AMOLED touch-screen combined with 14 megapixels.

Some key features for the Samsung ST5500 / Samsung CL80:
-14.2 megapixel image sensor
-7x optical zoom lens (31-217mm)
-Optical image stabilization
-3.7″ AMOLED touch-screen
-720p HD video
-Wi-Fi connectivity

Photography Blog ends up giving the Samsung ST5500 “Highly Recommended” rating with an overall score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The Samsung camera scores highest on ease of use, design and features while scoring a litter lower on image quality and lowest on value for your money. The reviewer finds the AMOLED screen to be one of the best screens on the market. This combined with many useful features makes the ST5500 to be a very attractive camera. Kudos to Samsung for being an innovative camera makers among many boring compact cameras.
Read the full review of the Samsung ST5500 / Samsung CL80 digital camera here.

Samsung has announced a new superzoom camera called Samsung WB5500. The WB5500 features a zoom lens with 26x optical zoom and 13.8 megapixels. This superzoom camera seems interesting but it remains to be seen what kind of image quality Samsung is able to produce.

Some key features for the Samsung WB5500:
-26x optical zoom lens (26-676mm)
-13.8 megapixel image sensor
-3″ LCD screen
-Sensor shift image stabilization
-0.24″ electronic viewfinder

The Samsung WB5500 digital camera will be released on the European market in May 2010 and cost about €429.

The website Buy n Shoot has tested a digital camera from Sony called Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W320. This budget camera from Sony sports an impressive 14.1 megapixels and supports SD and SDHC memory cards.

Some key features for the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W320:
-14.1 megapixel image sensor
-4x optical zoom lens (26-105mm)
-ISO sensitivity 80 to 3200
-2.7″ LCD screen
-45MB of internal memory
-Supports SD and SDHC memory cards

Buy n Shoot ends up giving the SD and SDHC memory cards a “Gold medal” rating. The camera scores highest on value for your money, a little lower on design while it scores lowest on functionality, image quality, lens quality, view finder and LCD screen. If you are a beginner to photography or want to give someone a camera as a gift the DSC-W320 might be your perfect choice.
Read the full review of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W320 digital camera here.

Printer Comparison has tested the Canon Pixma MX870 Wireless Office All-in-One printer. This Canon printer is able to print, scan, copy and fax with print speeds up to over 9 images per minute.

Some key features for the Canon Pixma MX870:
-Able print, scan, copy and fax
-Print speeds up to 9.4 images per minute
-Print resolution up to 9600 x 2400 dpi
-2.5″ LCD screen
-Built in duplexing
-Auto Document Feeder (ADF)

Printer Comparison ends up giving the Canon Pixma MX870 an overall score of 4 out of 5 stars. The printer scores highest on print quality and ease of use while scoring lowest on performance and print speeds. Overall the MX870 seems like an excellent printer if you do not need fast print speeds. If you run a big business this printer probably is not for you, but for home use and small offices the Pixma can be sufficient.
Read the full review of the Canon Pixma MX870 Wireless Office All-in-One printer here.

Camcorder Info has reviewed the Canon Vixia HV40 camcorder. This Canon camcorder is one of the few new HDV recorders from Canon in 2009 so it will be interesting to see what the reviewer thinks about this camcorder.

Some key features for the Canon Vixia HV40 camcorder:
-HDV video format
-10x optical zoom lens (43.6-436mm)
-200x digital zoom
-1/2.7 inches CMOS sensor

Camcorder Info ends up giving the Canon Vixia HV40 a pretty good review. If you are looking for HDV camcorder for the consumer marked the Vixia HV40 is a strong choice. The reviewer is a bit disappointed with that Canon did not put more effort into developing more features for this model.
Read the full review of the Canon Vixia HV40 camcorder here.

Printer Comparison has reviewed the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II printer. This wide-format photo inkjet Canon printer is targeted at professional photographers and similar groups that need high quality photo prints.

Some key features for the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II:
-4800 x 2400 dpi resolution
-A3+ and 14” wide professional inkjet printer
-16 bits per channel printing and dedicated monochrome printing
-Ambient Light Correction

Printer Comparison ends up giving the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II a very good rating as it is able to make photo prints of very high quality. It is also easy to use, don’t use that much ink and prints pretty quiet.
The only downside is that the printer is a bit slow and the price is high compared to other similar printers.
All in all the Pro9500 seems like an excellent printer for people who need photo prints of high quality.
Read the full review of the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II printer here.

The other digital camera that Samsung announced today is called Samsung TL320. The camera features a 12 megapixel sensor and a high-res 460,000 dot 3.0″ AMOLED display.

Some key features for the Samsung TL320:
-12 megapixel sensor
-5x optical zoom (24mm – 120mm)
-high-res 460,000 dot 3.0″ AMOLED display
-analog gauges

The Samsung TL320 camera will be available from May 2009 and cost about $380.

Press release:
Samsung Introduces Pair Of 12 Mega-Pixel, 24mm Ultra-Wide Angle Compact Digital Cameras

New TL320 Boasts Three-Inch AMOLED for Enhanced Viewing and Energy Efficiency

HZ15W Offers 12 Mega-Pixel Resolution and 24mm, 10x Optical Zoom Schneider Lens

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – February 23, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America today unveiled two new 12 mega-pixel compact digital cameras boasting 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider lenses. Samsung’s new TL320 raises the bar for innovation in the digital imaging industry as it is the world’s first digital camera to feature a three-inch AMOLED screen with HVGA resolution. The new HZ15W, Samsung’s second mega-zoom, point-and-shoot digital camera, offers consumers one of the most powerful lenses on a compact point-and-shoot with an impressive focal length of 24-240mm (35mm film equivalent).

The TL320

The new TL320 goes above and beyond traditional compact point-and-shoot digital cameras, offering an impressive list of features that set the camera apart from the competition. The TL320 features a Schneider lens, renowned for quality and trusted by professionals worldwide, and offers consumers a more versatile 24mm ultra-wide angle focal length paired with a powerful 5x optical zoom.

Utilizing the same advanced technologies found in its revolutionary AMOLED televisions, Samsung was able to incorporate a three-inch, 460,000-dot HVGA AMOLED screen in the new TL320, the largest AMOLED screen on a digital camera to date. In comparison to a traditional TFT-LCD screen, the TL320’s AMOLED consumes less power and offers a higher contrast ratio of 10,000:1, producing darker black levels, more vibrant colors, and a brighter display which can easily be viewed outdoors and even in direct sunlight. Additionally, unlike a TFT-LCD, the TL320’s AMOLED screen has the ability to display images that can be reviewed at any angle, while fully maintaining the same color gamut.

Samsung’s new TL320 also offers advanced high-definition video recording at a resolution of 720p, as well as HDMI connectivity through the use of a cradle to view one’s video and photos in HD clarity on an HDTV. The camera’s 5x optical zoom can be used while recording, and because the camera utilizes H.264 compression (a codec for high-definition video that yields three times the recording length than that of MJPEG video) users can record HD video for longer periods of time with the TL320.

For added stability and blur-free images, Samsung has outfitted the TL320 with both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization. The shooter has the option of simply using Optical Image Stabilization or choosing Dual Image Stabilization, combining the strengths of Optical and Digital Image Stabilization.

For the more advanced user who prefers to have more control over camera settings, the TL320 offers aperture priority, shutter priority, full manual shooting, as well as Samsung’s unique Advanced Picture Mode. Much more precise than simple white balance presets, Advanced Picture Mode gives users the ability to fine tune color tones before image capture by adjusting the color temperature from 2,800-10,000K, in 100K increments, or by manually configuring the camera’s color space shift.

For users looking for simplicity when it comes to taking digital images, the TL320 offers a comprehensive suite of automatic controls designed to help them capture better images with ease, including the camera’s Smart Auto mode. When selected, Smart Auto will automatically choose from one of the TL320’s 11 scene modes, determining which best suits the environment the user may be shooting in. For example, the TL320’s Smart Auto feature will automatically set the camera to its Landscape scene mode if the user is taking an image of a mountain range, and then switch gears and automatically select the Portrait scene mode if the user proceeds to take an image of an individual. No manual interaction is required.

In addition to Smart Auto, the TL320 also incorporates Samsung’s proprietary Smart Album program. Smart Album is useful tool which allows users to easily search for a specific image they have saved on their memory card. Smart Album automatically organizes the user’s digital images and gives them the ability to narrow their search based on specific criteria. Users can quickly sort by the date or week the image was taken, the overall color tone, as well as whether they’re searching for portraits or specific file types, including photos, videos, or voice memos.

Users can also take advantage of the TL320’s Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Shot, and Beauty Shot technologies. Designed to help capture better portraits and group shots of family and friends, Face Detection technology detects up to nine faces and automatically adjusts focus and exposure to ensure better composition and image quality. Smile Shot automatically triggers the TL320 to take a photo only when the camera detects smiles on the subjects’ faces, and Blink Detection will automatically fire two consecutive shots if the camera detects that a subject’s eyes are closed. Beauty Shot is a unique functionality which will automatically enhance and balance skin tones as well as remove blemishes.

Featuring a brushed stainless steel finish, the TL320 is as stylish as it is advanced. The camera offers a compact form factor highlighted by two analog dials found on top of the TL320’s body. The two dials give the TL320 a retro look and provide users with the ability to quickly glance down at the camera for an approximate readout of remaining battery life and memory capacity.

Camera Armor has announced a product live of protective silicone skins that are designed for digital cameras.

The company has redesigned their ToughStrap system and have made “Extreme” weatherproof protective body armor for DSLR cameras.

You can buy a range of different products made by Camera Armor at the BH Photo shop.

Press release:
Camera Armor Announces Line of Protective Silicone Skins for Digital Cameras

Camera Armor will also showcase their redesigned ToughStrap system and offer a sneak peek of Extreme, weatherproof body armor for DSLR cameras

(LAS VEGAS – CES 2009, Hilton Hotel, Suite 2050) – Camera Armor, a leader in protective accessories for cameras and digital SLRs, announces their first line of compact protective skins for point and shoot digital cameras. The Compact Camera Armor skins are created with the same silicone material and standards as their line of protective skins for high-end DSLR cameras. This latest line in protective and functional camera skins will be showcased at CES in the Hilton Hotel, Suite 2050.

“As digital cameras become more advanced and mainstream, there has been an increased demand from consumers to keep the cameras protected from daily wear and tear,” said Graeme Esarey, creator of Camera Armor. “It was a natural next step for Camera Armor to provide our unmatched protection to digital camera users – you won’t find better protection on the market than our new Compact skins.”

Camera Armor is extending their expertise in protective body armor to the new line of Compact skins. The protective silicone skins are custom fit for each model and provide complete shock absorbing protection. Unlike competitors, the Compact skins allow full access to all buttons and controls, including a swing away door for battery and SD card access and a Polycarbonate LCD protective shield. The Compact skins are engineered with a special grip texture to prevent accidental drops and a clear design allows the original color of the camera to show through. Camera Armor standards ensure that the protective skin will not lose its shape or fit over time. The Compact Camera skins, retailing for $14.96, are available now for the Canon SD1100 and Sony DCS-W120.

Camera Armor will also showcase the newly redesigned ToughStrap and SafeGrip system at CES. The ToughStrap secures the camera comfortably around the neck or shoulder, while the adjustable SafeGrip straps around the hand – guaranteeing security during shooting.

The new ToughStrap features:

* Stainless steel infused nylon webbed strap
* sturdy metal ring connectors
* heavy duty neoprene pad, which can rest around the neck or shoulder that adds extra comfort and support
* an adjustable length of 30 to 50 inches

The ToughStrap and SafeGrip retail together for $34.95. The SafeGrip can also be purchased separately for $14.95.

Camera Armor will also be offering a sneak peek at the latest in their line of protective skins for DLSR cameras. The Extreme is a weatherproof DSLR camera and lens polycarbonate case that allows access to all buttons, wheels, zoom and flash while shielding the camera from rain, sleet, snow and dust. Available Spring 2009, the Extreme features:

* weather sealed case
* internal rubber padding that provides full mechanical shock protection
* lens protection with two sizes of customized weatherproof lens armor to accommodate a wide range of wide and long zoom lenses
* Lens Transport End Cap seals and locks the lenses for full protection in transport
* a filter sealing system with standard anti-UV coated glass non-polarizing filter
* customized to fit Nikon D40x, D40, D60, Canon XSi(450D) and XS(100D)

All Camera Armor protective accessories are available for purchase at www.cameraarmor.us, where you can also find a retailer near you.