It’s that time of the year, when everybody starts rolling out new cameras and camcorders before the Photokina show drops in September. Samsung’s new stuff includes the HMX-E10, a new pocket camcorder that’s pretty unique with a lens that pivots around the body, letting you point it outward like every other cam, or point it to yourself to make goofy self-portraits and self-conscious video clips easier to pull-off.

As for the imaging innards, the E10 packs a hefty pocket-sized punch, with a CMOS sensor that can record 1080p HD videos. The cam also features a partial touchscreen display, and uses microSDHC cards for storage. An HDMI out will let you port content straight into an HDTV.

Samsung also unveiled the ST80, a new compact point-and-shoot that packs a 14.2MP sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, and a large 3-inch touchscreen display for previews and controls.

That’s not what makes it unique though: the highlight of this cam is its integrated Wi-fi connection that can be used to move files around quickly. Basically, the wireless link will let you send photos and videos from the cam straight to a recipient via email, or post them to Facebook, Picasa or YouTube. Support for DLNA devices also lets you send files to a network-attached HDTV, PS3, or any other DLNA appliance.

The E10 will cost $200, while the ST80 Wi-fi cam will sell for $250. Both are due out by September.

Panasonic just got all up in Flip’s business with the HM-TA1, Panny’s first pocket camcorder. It’s no child’s toy though; despite the user-friendly design and simple operation, the TA1 packs serious video tech, starting with a sensor that allows it to capture full 1080p HD videos at 30fps, 8-megapixel stills, and a built-in LED light for shooting in the dark.

HD video recording and photo captures should have been the end of it, but it does come with a few more extras to sweeten the deal. What sets it apart from other cams is the support for Apple’s iFrame encoding that allows it to record in Mac-friendly bits, and a webcam mode that supports Skype video calls after you connect it to a PC. In-cam software includes built-in digital image stabilization to reduce the shakes, and multiple filters will let you get creative.

Less than an inch thick and weighing around 1/5th of a pound, the TA1 also packs a decent 2-inch LCD screen for previews, reviews and in-cam editing, a 4x digital zoom, and a 940mAh rechargeable battery that can be charged via a swing-out USB connection.

Due out in August, it’s comparatively cheap at $170, although it doesn’t come with integrated storage. The TA1 uses an SD card slot for storing your recorded stuff, which shouldn’t be a big minus. SD cards are cheap and easily replaceable, and $170 for an HD pocket camcorder—albeit one with no built-in storage—still sounds like a good deal.

Specifically, the LX5 offers a redesigned sensor that stretches the cam’s sensitivity to ISO 12,800 for better low-light shooting, a more flexible 24-90mm lens and bright F2.0-3.3 aperture, and a firmware update that lets it record 720p video in Panny’s AVCHD Lite format. The sensor’s resolution is still kept at 10.1MP CCD – a number that might seem low compared to new mid-range point-and-shoot compacts that offer 14MP sensors, but as with the original, this cam proves that it’s in the quality, not the quantity of pixels.

The overall body design has been maintained from the LX3, but added a better grip and a jog dial along the top for easier controls. Panasonic also kept the 3-inch LCD size from the LX3, but added LCD backlighting to the mix for better visibility, especially under direct sunlight.

Available in black and white colors, the Lumix LX5 is set to ship by the end of August for $500.

Well this is embarrassing. Not for us, but probably for Sony. It was recently discovered that the deftly blurred PR shots Sony used for their new 3D-capable Cyber-shot compacts–the new cams that boasted of DSLR-like depth effects that we posted just yesterday—were evidently shot using a Canon DSLR.

A Canon EOS 5D Mark II, to be exact.

Now, while we’re sure that there’s no law anywhere that prohibits brands from using other brands (it’s perfectly legal), we have to mention that it’s a bit misleading. Especially when the shots feature a nice depth of field (the people in the shots are all blurred in the background), which is an effect that the new cams boasted about.

But really, Sony could have at least edited the EXIF data embedded on the images.

Image properties shown. Click to enlarge

You can view all of the PR shots here.

Source: Photography Bay / Gizmodo

Sony just unveiled three new compact cams, with two—the WX5 and TX9—that make up Sony’s first cameras “that can capture amazing 3D images to enjoy on any 3D-compatible TV.” The two cams both feature 12.1 megapixels sensors, and achieve the 3D images using something called 3D Sweep Panorama technology.

The first 3D compact cam we’ve seen, Fuji’s FinePix Real 3D W1, packed a pair of lenses on either side of the cam’s frame that takes simultaneous images to achieve the effect. Sony’s method comes with a single lens, but uses the same concept: you press the shutter (to get a quick burst) and sweep the camera from side to side to get a series of shots from up to 15 different angles, and the cam combines them into a stereoscopic image. You’re going to need to connect it to a 3D-capable HD display via HDMI to see the results though.

Both cams also feature good low-noise shooting, thanks to the Superior Auto mode that combines up to six frames (again, in a burst) into a quality “DSLR-like” shot. The mode also comes with a Backgroud Defocus feature that gives a nice depth-of-field effect you’d normally get from a cam with a wide aperture lens that blurs the background after merging two shots.

Both cams feature widescreen LCD displays and HD video recording, but come in different body types. The WX5 features an f2.8, 5x zoom lens, a 2.8-inch LCD screen and standard camera buttons, while the TX9 is a 17.5mm-thick pancake compact that packs a 4x zoom, a larger 3.5-inch touchscreen for controls, and a waterproof frame for shooting underwater panoramas.

The WX5 will cost $300, while the TX9 is priced at $400. Both will be available in September.

Sony also announced another compact, the T99, that shares the TX9’s compact design but drops the 3D capabilities (although it keeps the waterproof frame and can still shoot 2D sweep panoramas). Priced at $250, the T99 packs a 14.1MP sensor, a smaller 3-inch touchscreen, amd a slightly slimmer 16.8mm-thick frame.

Canon unveiled something interesting at the Shanghai World Expo called the Wonder Camera Concept. Much like concept cars, it comes with a weird future-y shape that may or may not appeal to pro photographers and hardcore enthusiasts (we’re banking on “no”), but comes with a tech that’ll make life easier for anyone who ever had to camp out for hours in a spot waiting for “the perfect shot.”

Basically, the Wonder Camera combines photo and video captures with an insanely fast focus, huge storage and high resolution tech that’ll allow you to pick out a clear frame from captured videos. So yeah, no more selective pointing and shooting. Just hit ‘record’ and point the business end towards the action and sort it all out later.

They didn’t give out any specifics, so no one knows exactly what kind of storage, lens, or sensor resolution it’ll be packing. It’s still a concept though, basically serving as a preview of what we could be lugging to tourist traps 20 years from now.

Here’s a video covering the Wonder Camera Concept:

Source: Gizmag

A working unit of Altek’s Leo, the smartphone that packs a 14-megapixel sensor that was first spotted in a teaser last month, has been spotted on the CommunicAsia floor. Additional details have been posted—mostly about the cam and not so much about the phone—but when a phone packs a 14MP snapper with an extending optical zoom lens, that’s expected.

The built-in cam—if you can call it that—is definitely this phone’s highlight. It’s not your regular phone-based extra though: the Leo’s cam is set up more like a point-and-shoot with a aforementioned 14MP resolution, a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, and xenon flash. Like a full-fledged cam, the Leo’s edges house the cam’s dedicated shutter and zoom buttons. In-cam software includes smile detection and sweep panorama shooting.

Little details about the phone itself have been revealed except for the OS. According to the hands-on report, the Leo will be rocking an Android 2.1 operating system with a customized interface, but could be running Android 2.2 Froyo when it’s launched.

Availability could be limited though; according the Altek’s VP, they’re planning to launch it in Asian markets (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan specifically) in Q4 2010 for around $499.

CNET’s hands-on:

Source: CNET Asia

Are you the adventurous type? The type of adrenaline junkie who’s into doing the stuff where you need a helmet? Well, you need to capture your adventures. It’s an absolute must, since a) you’re not going to be doing that forever, and b) it would be nice to have proof for boasting rights. That would be handy in the future when you’re stuck in a wheelchair. Drift Innovation just came out with the HD170 Action Camera—a tiny, lightweight, full-featured HD cam—to help you do just that while you still can.

Measuring 133mm long and weighing 138 grams (weighing around the same as an iPhone), the cam comes with a number of mounting kits that’ll let you attach it to a head strap, helmet, goggles or handlebars, so it can record the action while keeping your hands free for stuff like bracing yourself for a crash.

It’s a pretty full-featured kit for its size, with a rotating wide-angle lens for taking in more of the scene, optics that can record full 1080p HD videos to give you a lot of detail, and a waterproof body that can survive a dip in up to two feet of water.

The cam itself comes with a 1.5-inch LCD screen for previews, but comes with a wireless RF remote to give you hands-free control. The HD170 also supports 5MP stills and features a continuous photo mode that snaps a photo every few seconds, before saving everything onto an SD card (up to 32GBs supported). The body includes a built-in mic and speaker, and supports external microphones if you want to eliminate wind noise.

Shipping sometime next month, it won’t be cheap at $330, but you’ll appreciate the action-packed proof of your adventures in HD someday when you’re too old (or too injured) to continue doing it.

Panasonic just came out with the HDC-TM35, an HD camcorder that they claim to be the lightest in the world. Not an easy claim, considering that this isn’t a pocket camcorder.

Weighing in at 185 grams with batteries (comparatively, an iPhone 3GS is listed to weight 135 grams), the TM35 sports a 23x zoom via Panasonic’s iA Zoom feature, and packs hybrid image stabilization to keep videos steady when you’re zooming in close. It’s also able to record 1080i HD-quality videos in the AVCHD format with Dolby Digital-quality audio recorded by stereo microphones that’s listed to be able to filter out wind noise.

Storage comes by way of a card slot that can take in SD, SDHC or SDXC cards of up to 32GB capacities; no internal storage drive here, which is where the cam manages to shed off a little weight.

It’s been announced to hit the Japanese market on July 1st, and is expected to sell for around 75,000 yen (around $800). No word on an international release yet, but you can expect this to hit international waters soon after the Japan release.

The Lumix FX75 is a very compact, 22.8mm-thick, 14-megapixel point-and-shoot cam with a 3-inch touchscreen, but that’s not its best feature. The main highlight on this cam? An ultra wide-angle 24-120mm-equivalent lens with a maximum f2.2 aperture and 5x optical zoom. Simplified, the lens on this cam will let you shoot very wide landscape shots and is sensitive enough to let you snap bright photos in low light without having to use the flash.

The rest of the cam’s highlights include the ability to record 720p video in the AVCHD Lite format or Motion JPEG with Dolby-quality audio. It’s not something you’d pick up if you’re into advanced controls, since it won’t give you full manual controls, but it’s pretty ideal if you just want a user-friendly cam that’ll let you shoot from the hip. For those purposes, the FX75 features Panasonic’s Evolving iA (intelligent auto) with Motion Deblur Mode that pretty much ties in everything you’d need for taking quick, optimized shots: image stabilization, face detection and recognition, AF tracking, and auto ISO, exposure and scene selection.

The Motion Deblur feature is a new tech that helps reduce blur brought about by shaky hands, brought by a combination of the cam’s optical image stabilization and wide f2.2 lens aperture.

No word on pricing and release info yet, but it’s expected to ship within Q3 of this year.