Digital Camera News and Reviews

HP Deskjet D2660

Eye-Fi has announced a new wireless SDHC memory card for the professional photographer marked. The card is called Eye-Fi Pro and lets the user upload pictures directly to their computer and the web via Wi-Fi. The card supports RAW file transfer and lets you automatically upload pictures and videos direct to more than 25 online photo and video sharing sites like Flickr.

The Eye-Fi Pro card is now available and costs about $150.

Press release:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 10, 2009: Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Pro, a new wireless SDHC memory card for digital cameras that allows professionals and photo enthusiasts to automatically upload images straight from their camera to their computer and the Web. Available today, the Eye-Fi Pro includes RAW image support and peer-to-peer connectivity for a direct connection between the camera and a computer, no router or Internet connection required (also known as ad hoc).

Eye-Fi also announced today that all Eye-Fi card users can now select which photos or videos they want to wirelessly transfer from their camera to their computer or the Web, using the new Selective Transfer feature.

“People are engaged in photography at a deeper level than ever before. They have moved from being casual photographers to passionate enthusiasts, shooting in RAW for easier editing, adding geotags for a richer experience or sharing photos in an online gallery,” said Jef Holove, CEO of Eye-Fi. “These people are looking for tools that advance the art of photography and make it more efficient – and the Eye-Fi Pro does both.”

About the Eye-Fi Pro

The Eye-Fi Pro lets users wirelessly upload more file types, including JPEG and RAW images and videos. The Eye-Fi Pro also allows users to create an ad hoc connection through their computer or other mobile device to wirelessly upload media files while away from a wireless router.

“The Eye-Fi Pro has streamlined my workflow. It lets me quickly upload files in the background while I continue my photo shoots. My clients can choose their best shots in near real time,” said Jeff Sockwell, an Eye-Fi Pro beta user and professional photographer who used Eye-Fi in a portrait session with more than 150 dance students. “I also have assurance that photos are automatically saved both on my computer and my Eye-Fi Pro.”

Like the Eye-Fi Explore Video, the new Eye-Fi Pro will automatically upload images and videos direct to more than 25 online photo and video sharing sites. It also lets users upload away from home at more than 10,000 Wayport and open hotspots, and will automatically geotag photos with information about where the images were taken. The Eye-Fi Pro is now available at for an MSRP of $149.
Selective Transfer
Also announced today is Eye-Fi’s newest feature, Selective Transfer, that gives users more control over which photos to upload. Using the “protect” or “lock” feature in the camera’s menu, users can select which files to wirelessly upload. Any “protected” photo will automatically be uploaded, and all photos will remain on the memory card until the user manually deletes them. Selective Transfer is free, and available now for all Eye-Fi card users through the Eye-Fi Manager.

At the Leading Edge of Camera Technology – Eye-Fi Connected cameras
In effort to meet prosumers’ increasing camera feature set demands and widen wireless adoption, manufacturers are offering Eye-Fi card recognition and optimization. The Eye-FiConnected camera features range from power setting optimization to on-camera notifications while photos and videos are wirelessly uploaded. These new cameras include Nikon’s latest model, the D5000 (which follows in the footstep of the already Eye-FiConnected D60 and D90), as well as the entire spring line-up of Casio cameras, including the Casio EX-S12, Casio EX-S5, Casio EX-FS10, Casio EX-FC100 and Casio EX-Z29.

Eye-Fi has received numerous product awards including Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New” for 2008, and PC World’s “The 100 Best Products of 2008.”

HP Deskjet D2660

Printer Comparison has reviewed the HP Deskjet D2660 printer. This Deskjet printer features speeds up to 28 ppm for black and 21 ppm for color. For people who are interested in environment issues it is nice to see that this HP printer is made from 50% recycled plastic and the ink cartridges it uses are also made of 50% recycled material.

Some key features for the HP Deskjet D2660:
-prints speeds: up to 28 ppm black and up to 21 ppm color
-80 sheet input tray
-20 sheet output tray
-borderless printing
-made from 50% recycled plastic

Printer Comparison ends up giving the HP Deskjet D2660 printer a good review. It is able to make good prints and it is very cheap (about $50). The best thing about this printer, in my opinion, is that it is made of 50% recycled plastic. I hope more manufactures will follow HP and make more environmental friendly products.
The only downside is that the HP is a bit loud while printing, but overall this seems like a very interesting deskjet printer especially if you are interested in protecting the earth.
Read the full review of the HP Deskjet D2660 here.

Kodak Z980

Digital Camera Review has reviewed the Kodak Z980 compact camera. This Kodak camera features an impressive 24x optical zoom lens and a 12 megapixel sensor.

Some key features for the Kodak Z980 digital camera:
-24x optical zoom
-12 megapixel sensor
-Image stabilization
-Vertical grip
-HD picture and video capture

Digital Camera Review ends up giving the Kodak Z980 ultrazoom a pretty good review as the camera is able to take pictures of good quality, you get HD video and full manual controls. There are a couple of downsides like more noise than its competitors at higher ISO levels and the battery life is quite short.
Overall the Kodak Z980 seems like a nice ultrazoom camera, but you might consider a DSLR as the size of the compact camera is about the same size.
Read the full review of the Kodak Z980 camera here.

Ricoh CX1

Digital Camera Resource Page has reviewed the Ricoh CX1 digital camera. This compact camera has a lot of features like the dynamic range double shot mode so it will be interesting to see how the pictures turns out.

Some key features for the Ricoh CX1:
-Dynamic range double shot mode
-9 megapixel sensor
-3″ LCD screen
-7.1x optical zoom lens (28-200 mm)
-4 frames per second continuous shooting

Digital Camera Resource Page ends up giving the Ricoh CX1 a not so good review as the picture quality is not the best. There are many neat features in the camera, but there are a few drawbacks like heavy noise reduction that removes the details in pictures, even at low ISO levels. There is also a problem with red eyes and the flash could be stronger.
Read the full review of the Ricoh CX1 camera here.