digiCAMs

Dual Digicam

2007-12-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

Small is beautiful, especially in portable electronic devices such as Walkman-like audio recorders and players, camcorders, and digital cameras. Sony, along with JVC, perhaps the most adroit companies in the industry in designing and marketing ever-smaller recording devices, has just introduced a new digital camcorder format that reduces the overall size and weight of both the camera itself and the cassette it uses, increases battery life by a substantial amount, and represents a major overall improvement in ease-of-use.This new camcorder makes use of what Sony calls the MICRO-MV cassette. This cassette is one of the smallest audio or video cassettes ever developed, and is more or less the size of an audio dictation-type micro-cassette, measuring just 46x30.2x8.5mm (1.8x1.2x0.3 inches). Compared with the standard DV "Mini-Cassette" now used with all DV digital video camcorders, which measures 66x48x12.2mm (2.6x1.9x0.5 inches roughly), the MICRO-MV cassette occupies only 30 percent of the volumetric space required for the earlier DV cassette.The tape used in the MICRO-MV cassette is the same width as in an analog audio cassette, 3.81mm (0.150 inches), whereas the standard DV cassette uses quarter-inch-wide (6.35mm) tape. The tape coating is an advanced form of Sony’s "AME" (Advanced Metal Evaporated) thin-film cobalt metal formulation. The recorded track-width is only five microns, itself an amazing achievement. To assure error-free data recovery on playback, each track is read twice, and the two readouts compared in a buffer. The recording system, which of course is helical-scan, makes use of MR (magneto-resistive) heads, the same kind of heads now used in all hard-disk drives.This new camcorder, Sony’s Model DCR-IP7, is available for sale only in Japan at this time. It is not inexpensive ---- ¥170,000 ($1,415), but not super-expensive either, at least as digital camcorders go. The camcorder measures 103x80x47mm (4.05x3.15x1.85 inches), weighs just 370 grams (23 ounces), and includes the "Bluetooth" wireless transmission system now becoming popular in Japan. "Bluetooth" allows one to transmit digital data to a receiving device such as a PC without the need for cables of any kind. The camcorder is shown in the photo at the left. The cassette provides 60 minutes of recording time at standard speed, and uses the MPEG-2 encoding system.Exciting as this new, highly miniaturized digital camcorder is, Sony notes that it is only an interim device. The future of portable devices, including digital camcorders, according to Sony, lies in eliminating tape drives and tape cassettes altogether. This would eliminate all moving parts, allow still greater miniaturization, much improved battery life, and almost instantaneous location of any sequence in the recording. The recording medium to be used will, of course, be the flash-memory cards already widely used in digital cameras, audio MP-3 players, and as a supplement to the tape cassette in most digital camcorders. Sony has indicated that it will introduce digital camcorders using an advanced version of its "Memory Stick" media sometime in 2003. These "Memory Stick" media are about 50x22x2.8mm in size (2.0x0.87x0.11 inches), and initially will provide one gigabyte of storage capacity, with a 2 Mbit/second data-transfer rate. This will be sufficient capacity to provide 60 minutes of high-quality video, using MPEG-4 encoding schemes.

Sony digicam

2007-12-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

Type of Camera

Type of Camera
What it means?
There are three types of cameras available: Point and Shoot or Compact, Prosumer and SLRs.
How it works?
Point and shoot cameras also known as Compact cameras. They are generally small and less expensive as compared to the SLRs. They usually dont have a lot of controls. Point and shoot cameras are quite popular and easy to use. These do not require much effort or creativity on the part of the user. These are useful for sports and scenery shots. These cameras offer more features as compared to the Point and Shoot cameras.
Benefits
SLRs offer many more features as compared to the Point and Shoot cameras. If you require taking scenery/sports shots an SLR is the right one for you.
Prosumer
Resolution

Mega Pixel
What it means?
Resolution is made up of building blocks called pixels. A million pixels together are called a mega pixel. Its on the resolution, which is composed of elements sensitive to sunlight, that the image is created. Each of these elements registers one of the points (called pixel) that create the picture.
How it works?
The resolution of your digital camera determines what you can do with your photos, such as post them online or make prints and enlargements.
Benefits
Higher the number of pixels the better quality of pictures will be and also gives larger size prints.
8.2
Screen

LCD Size (Inches)
2.5
Optical Viewfinder
What it means?
A non-electronic optical device used to view the image that is being shot is known as optical viewfinder. Optical viewfinders on compact cameras do not show exactly what is being shot because they are independent of the lens. The optical viewfinders on SLR cameras show exactly what is being shot because they are aimed through the lens.
How it works?
The small window generally located at the top of the camera is the optical viewfinder. Look through the optical viewfinder to compose your shot; what you see framed there is what the camera will capture. Optical viewfinders are handy for the following reason: LCD screens are hard to see in bright light, so composing your shot is hard.
Benefits
Using the optical viewfinder and turning off the LCD screen will make your batteries last considerably longer.

Lens

Colour Filter
What it means?
Colour Filter is a software that modifies digital images by altering the values or arrangement of selected image pixels.
How it works?
A colour filter is an optical attachment placed on the front of the lens. It is used to correct color or enhance an image by absorbing parts of the visible light spectrum or create special effects through prisms and other optical enhancements.
Benefits
It enhances the quality of the images taken and gives better images.
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Aperture (f/stops)
What it means?
Aperture is the opening in a lens through which light passes to the image sensor to create an image.
How it works?
Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-stops. The higher the f number the smaller is the aperture. The common f-stops are f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8 etc.
Benefits
The quality of the image depends upon the aperture range and shutter speed of the camera. The larger the f number, the smaller the lens opening and hence less light will enter into the camera.
f/2.8-4.6
Shutter Speed (Seconds)
What it means?
Shutter priority is an exposure mode that lets you select the desired shutter speed. Shutter Speed is measured in seconds. It is the time for which the camera exposes the sensor to the light being let in by the aperture setting.
How it works?
A shutter consists of blade, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the sensor. Many point and shoot cameras have fixed shutter speeds. Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras offer a greater control over the shutter speed. If you use a very slow shutter speed (about 1/8 sec) you will not be able to hold the camera in your hand and shoot the subject clearly. The image thus obtained will get blurred.
1-1/2000
Sensor Type
What it means?
The two types of sensors are CCD and CMOS. CCD - Charged Coupled Device sensor is a light sensitive chip used for image gathering. CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor is another type of image sensor found in a digital camera. Pixel sensitivity is lower than the CCD sensors and usually has more noise in the imaging device.
How it works?
CCD is the most common form of photosensitive cells used to convert incoming light into electrical signals in digital cameras. In their normal condition these are greyscale devices. To create colour, a colour pattern is laid down on the sensor pixels, using RGBG color mask. (Red, Green, Blue, and Green) The extra Green is used to create contrast in the image. The CCD Pixels gather the colour from the light and pass it to the shift register for storage.
Benefits
A digital image sensor converts light into electrical signals, which are then converted into an image inside the camera using the cameras image processor.
CCD
Shooting Programmes

Shooting Modes
What it means?
Some cameras allow the user some creativity in terms of the kind of picture modes in different environments, such as Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene and Sport etc.
How it works?
Shooting modes are the amount of controls you have in choosing how your digital camera captures an image. They include automatic mode, portrait mode, macro mode, landscape mode, sports mode, night mode, movie mode etc.
Benefits
The shooting modes enhance the quality of images when shot as per the situation. For example, the Portrait mode is used especially where you wish that only the subject that is being shot appears clearly, and the background gets slightly blurred so as not to distract attention.
Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Text, Close-up, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach & Snow, Self shot, Cafe, Food
Macro Mode
What it means?
Macro mode allows a digital camera to take close-up pictures of small objects like fingernail art, flowers, stamps, insects, etc. Macro mode is an absolute must have for shooting close up images.
How it works?
The Macro mode enables auto focusing as close as 2cm away from the object. Many cameras offer a macro mode capable of recording images as close as 1cm also.
Benefits
It is useful for taking close-ups of flowers, insects and other small subjects.

Metering

Centre Weighted Metering
What it means?
Centre Weighted Metering measures the brightness of the light at the centre of the frame, as well as around the centre, to calculate the correct exposure for the image.
How it works?
This makes it possible to capture the image with the right exposure even when the subject at the centre is bright and the background is dark.
Benefits
Centre Weighted Metering averages the exposure of the entire frame but gives extra weight to the object in the centre and is ideal for taking portraits.

Multi Metering
What it means?
Multi Metering means when the camera measures the light intensity in several points in the scene, and then combines the results to find the settings for the best exposure.
How it works?
This makes it possible to capture the image with the right exposure when the whole subject bright.
Benefits
Multi Metering averages the exposure of the entire frame which is to be captured.

Spot Metering
What it means?
Spot Metering measures a narrow zone at the centre to determine the exposure level.
How it works?
This is useful for highlighting the subject and enhancing the visual impact, and also for capturing the details in a highlighted section.
Benefits
Spot metering allows only a small area of the whole frame to be metered and the exposure of the rest of the frame is ignored. It is the most useful for backlit, macro and moon shots.

Lens

Digital Zoom
What it means?
Digital zoom enlarges the subject within an image, while reducing the resolution of an image.
How it works?
A digital zoom is software inside the camera that enlarges subject in an image. Due to the doubling of pixels the image begins to become fuzzier and fuzzier as you enlarge.
5
Optical Zoom
What it means?
Optical zoom is a feature that alters a cameras focal length, filling more of the frame within the subject.
How it works?
An optical zoom lens actually moves in and out of the camera to get wide-angle, telephoto and macro (close-up) shots. Unlike a digital zoom, an optical zoom will not reduce the resolution of your photos. These days, a 3x optical zoom is pretty standard, with some models going up to 10x or even 12x.
Benefits
Optical zoom helps you to concentrate on the subject of the image. It is more useful in taking pictures of flowers, animals, insects etc. It also brings a faraway object nearer and hence is more useful in taking pictures of flora and fauna.
5
Battery

Rechargeable Battery Type
How it works?
The rechargeable batteries are either of NiMh (Nickel Metal Hydride) or Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) type. The NiMh batteries recharge in 1 to 2 hours while the Li-Ion batteries recharge in 3 to 5 hours.
Benefits
The Li-Ion batteries hold charge for a longer time, especially with digital cameras that use more battery power as compared to NiMh batteries.
Ni-MH
Number of Batteries
1
Life (Hours)
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Shots
What it means?
It denotes the number of images that can be captured after one battery charge.
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Interface

USB Cable

Audio Video Interface

Connectivity

PictBridge
What it means?
PictBridge is a software in many digital cameras, camcorders and printers that allows them to communicate with one another without needing a computer to translate.
How it works?
Take any PictBridge-enabled digital camera and connect it directly to any PictBridge-enabled printer using a USB cable to get great photos, without needing a computer to play in the middle.
Benefits
PictBridge makes printing the images very easy.

Interface

Bluetooth
What it means?
Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology that connects electronic devices, including cell phones, printers, digital cameras or palm top computers. It is designed to exchange data at speeds up to 720 kbit/s and at ranges up to 10 metres.
How it works?
Images can be transferred and saved from a bluetooth enabled camera to the computer or images can be printed using a bluetooth enabled printer.
Benefits
It is a wireless technology which replaces the connecting cables. The key features are low cost and low power.

WiFi
What it means?
WiFi stands for Wireless Fidelity. It allows wireless access to the computer or camera without the use of the cables.
How it works?
WiFi cameras use wireless computer networking technology to connect to a wireless network. If you have a wireless network at home or work, you can connect to it with a wireless-enabled digital camera and download your photos to a computer without any cables.
Benefits
It helps in transferring the images from a digital camera to a computer or a printer without the use of cables. This means easier image downloads, printing and sharing of photos without using a memory card reader or a USB cable.

Compatibility

Operating System
What it means?
This determines the operating system on which the camera works. Most of the digital cameras work on Windows or Macintosh software. Types of Operating Systems are Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
MS windows and Mac
Memory

Inbuilt Memory (MB)
20
Upgradeable

Type of Card
What it means?
Digital Cameras save images on a removable device like SD and MMC card.
How it works?
Digital cameras store the photos they take to some kind of memory. A handful have high built-in memory, while a few record photos on SD cards, MMCs, etc. However, in general digital cameras store photos to some kind of removable media. The memory cards are the size of a postage stamp and weigh about 2 grams. They come in various sizes like 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB.
Benefits
The memory card stores the images and video recordings as the internal memory of most of the cameras is less.
Secured Digital/Multimedia Card
Image Format
What it means?
It is the format in which digital images are stored in the digital camera.
How it works?
There are numerous ways to store an image, and the most popular are jpeg, gif, tiff, bitmap and the more complicated raw files. You can identify which format is used by looking at the end of the file name after the period. For example, picture.jpg is a jpeg file. The most widely used is the jpeg format.
Benefits
The image format stores all the images in the camera.
JPEG
Image

Special Effects
What it means?
Images can be captured by applying special effects to the images. Special Effects differ from one manufacturer to another. Some types of special effects are High color, Natural color, Low color, Sepia, Black and White, Vivid, Neutral, Positive, Black and White, Darker Skin Tone, Lighter Skin Tone
Normal, B&W, Sepia, Red, Blue, Green, Negative, Custom Color
Continuous Shots (Shots Per Second)
What it means?
The continuous shots feature helps to shoot consecutive images until the memory is full.
Benefits
Once the internal memory is full the digital camera transfers the images from the internal memory to the memory card.
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Other Features

Built In Flash

Auto Flash

Red Eye Reduction
What it means?
The correction of the appearance of a red eye applied on a picture-by-picture basis is called as red eye reduction.
How it works?
This feature causes the flash to emit a burst of light before the photograph is taken, which causes the pupils of your subject to narrow. This reduces the chance that you will see a lot of red eye in your photograph, although it will not eliminate it completely.

Self Timer

MPEG Movies
What it means?
Many digital cameras let you record short clips of highly compressed, low-resolution video, either as an MPEG movie. (320 x 240 is a common resolution). Some record audio too. Although these low-resolution movie modes cannot replace the high-quality video you get from a digital camcorder, they can be another fun way to capture faces or events.

Exposure Compensation Value
What it means?
Exposure compensation means modifying the shutter speed and/or lens aperture recommended by the cameras light meter in order to produce special creative effects or to meet special requirements.
2
Image Stabilizer
What it means?
Some cameras with high optical zooms such as 6x or higher come with an image stabilizing feature. It automatically eliminates any camera shake like the slight jiggling motion that can result as you hold the camera thus helping you ensure a crisp, sharp photo.
How it works?
The image stabilization function prevents blur by flexibly shifting the lens itself and bending the light axis whenever the built-in sensor detects camera shake.
Benefits
The image stabilizer improves the quality of the image by preventing blur images due to camera shake.

Colour

Colour Options
Silver, Black
Dimensions

Width (mm)
100.3
Depth (mm)
23.4
Height (mm)
63
Weight (Grams)
153.8
After Sales Service

Warranty Period (Years)
1

BenQ

2007-12-11T22:16:00.000-08:00

BenQ has launched its latest chic, stainless steel-cased digicam dubbed DC X735. Measuring just 12.5mm, the new DC X735 has the slimmest camera body in the world, boasts BenQ. With a 2.5-inch LCD screen having a resolution of 7.2MP, the BenQ DC X735 digicam comes in two colors, namely vixen-red and mid-night black. The features of this super slim camera include SMC Pentax lens, 3x optical zoom (for still as well as video), Face tracking function, Super Shake Free system with a sensitivity of 2000 ISO and a high setting at 6400 ISO that can be engaged during movie mode and a Frame-by-Frame movie mode for VGA 640 x 480 pixels (30fps) in MPEG4 format

Digital camcorder

2007-12-11T22:14:00.001-08:00

Digital camcorder with 5in1 function, digital camera, PC camera, voicerecorder, mp3-player - videoaufzeichnung in the mpeg-4-format for longer photographs - tiltable display 3 megapixel cmos sensor, supporting up ton of 5 millions pixel hardware resolution(quietimage) support high compression mpeg-4 video format 1,5"tft LCD display, easy tons previewv, replay, and/or share video works anytime 4-in-1 solution: Digitally more camcorder, digitally quietly camera, voice recorder, PC camera built in external SD slot 4x digitally zoom shot 90 gr.

digicam

2007-12-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

It depends on your perspective. If you’re the head of a major record label or movie studio, or if you’re a publisher or copyright holder, DRM — the blanket term for various new technologies that control usage and access to digital music, movies, and software — stands for Digital Rights Management.
But if you’re a consumer, it’s more accurate to say it stands for Digital Restrictions Management. (Or, in the case of croo tk it, which deposits all manner of intrusive and concealed software on a user’s computer, Digital Restrictions Malware.) “It prevents you from using the content that you have bought the way you want to,” says Nelson Pavlosky, co-founder of the international student movement FreeCulture.org. “And because there are laws against circumventing this copy protection, uses that would otherwise be legal suddenly become illegal. If I wanted to make a back-up copy of a CD that I bought, which is legal under fair use, the DRM physically stops me — and the laws that enforce DRM legally stop me.”
Elizabeth Stark, founder of Free Culture’s Harvard chapter puts it plainly: “You should not treat your consumers as criminals.”
But lately, DRM has become so prevalent — in the songs you buy from iTunes, the DVDs you watch, the eBooks you read — that some observers fear it stands to permanently strip away freedoms we’ve come to take for granted in the digital age. So, in concert with the nationwide Day Against DRM (October 3) that’s been announced by DefectiveByDesign.org, Free Culture has announced a Down with DRM Video Contest. Your job is simple: create a video. Post it online. Spread the word.
The very idea of the project goes against one of the core motivations behind DRM, says Fred Benenson, co-founder of Free Culture at NYU. “The entertainment industry loves DRM because it manifests the desire to vertically control cultural experiences — a dream they’ve had for years. Their ideal is for the audience to exist as a passive unit, where we’re merely ‘listening’ and ‘watching’ rather than actively participating or criticizing. DRM grants media corporations the exclusive keys to the locks on our own cultural artifacts.”
If you haven’t heard about the more perfidious instances of DRM, that may have to do with the fact that most media companies have a vested interest in it. “Are we gonna get something on a major news network about this? Probably not gonna happen,” says Harvard’s Stark. “But we don’t need to go through those channels anymore. Now we have Web sites where people can post videos and millions of people can view it.”
The videos will be uploaded on YouTube, MySpace, and blogs. “That’s how culture travels these days,” says Pavlovsky. So grab that digicam. If you want to remix existing video, do it. Hell, “if you can convey the anti-DRM message using cardboard cutouts and yarn, we’d love to see it,” says Benenson. Ideally, the videos should be licensed under the “copyleft” licenses available from Creative Commons (creativecommons.org) and Free Art (artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/).
Deadline for submissions is Sunday, October 1. Videos should be pithy and catchy. Upload them to the site(s) of your choice — YouTube, blip.tv, archive.org, revver.com — and be sure to tag them with “downwithdrm” and “dbdoct3.” Then e-mail the link to downwithdrm@freeculture.org. Free Culture will pick the top five entries and award the winners with a Neuros OSD, a way-cool device (at $229.99) that allows recording of iPod-ready MPEG-4 files from analog video input.
But you’re not doing this just for the prize. “DRM is basically infringing on our free speech,” says Stark. “This is a threat to our culture.”